SENATOR THE HON PENNY WONG
LABOR SENATOR FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA
MEDIA RELEASE
10 July 2014
Matt Williams, Liberal MP for Hindmarsh and Kevin Andrews,
Minister for Social Services, should come clean with pensioners in
Hindmarsh about the full impact of the Abbott Government’s budget of
broken promises and cruel cuts.
Mr Williams has this week convened Seniors Forums with the Minister for Social Services in Adelaide’s western and south-western suburbs in a belated attempt to explain their harsh and deceitful Budget cuts to some of the people who will be hit the hardest.
This is a chance for Mr Williams to finally correct the record.
Mr Williams has previously assured pensioners that age pension arrangements would not impact Senior Australians unfairly.
Yet, if Tony Abbott’s new indexation arrangements had been in place for the last four years, a single age pensioner on the maximum rate would now be $60 a fortnight worse off.
These cuts to pension indexation will hit people struggling to make ends meet on the age pension and on veterans, disability and carer’s pensions.
Mr Williams has claimed that the Clean Energy Supplement would remain.
What he fails to mention is that the Government will cut the Energy Supplement by ceasing indexation.
Mr Williams has peddled the lie that hospital funding for South Australia will increase.
Instead, Tony Abbott has ripped $655 million from South Australian hospitals over the next four years.
If this was an honest forum, Mr Williams and Mr Andrews would let seniors know the truth about the Abbott Government’s budget measures.
Not only has Mr Abbott broken its promise of “no changes to pensions”, he has increased the cost of living for older Australians with a hike on the petrol tax, a new $7 GP tax and $5 prescription fee.
Mr Williams has failed to stand up for the people of Hindmarsh.
If the Liberal Member for Hindmarsh wants to be more than just a doormat for Mr Abbott, then he should stop spreading lies about the impact of the Budget on his constituents.
Mr Williams has this week convened Seniors Forums with the Minister for Social Services in Adelaide’s western and south-western suburbs in a belated attempt to explain their harsh and deceitful Budget cuts to some of the people who will be hit the hardest.
This is a chance for Mr Williams to finally correct the record.
Mr Williams has previously assured pensioners that age pension arrangements would not impact Senior Australians unfairly.
Yet, if Tony Abbott’s new indexation arrangements had been in place for the last four years, a single age pensioner on the maximum rate would now be $60 a fortnight worse off.
These cuts to pension indexation will hit people struggling to make ends meet on the age pension and on veterans, disability and carer’s pensions.
Mr Williams has claimed that the Clean Energy Supplement would remain.
What he fails to mention is that the Government will cut the Energy Supplement by ceasing indexation.
Mr Williams has peddled the lie that hospital funding for South Australia will increase.
Instead, Tony Abbott has ripped $655 million from South Australian hospitals over the next four years.
If this was an honest forum, Mr Williams and Mr Andrews would let seniors know the truth about the Abbott Government’s budget measures.
Not only has Mr Abbott broken its promise of “no changes to pensions”, he has increased the cost of living for older Australians with a hike on the petrol tax, a new $7 GP tax and $5 prescription fee.
Mr Williams has failed to stand up for the people of Hindmarsh.
If the Liberal Member for Hindmarsh wants to be more than just a doormat for Mr Abbott, then he should stop spreading lies about the impact of the Budget on his constituents.
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