Thursday, 09 August 2018
THE HON LINDA BURNEY MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HUMAN SERVICES
SHADOW MINISTER FOR PREVENTING FAMILY VIOLENCE ACTING
SHADOW MINISTER FOR FAMILIES AND SOCIAL SERVICES
THE HON AMANDA RISHWORTH MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
SHADOW MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL
MEMBER FOR KINGSTON
The Turnbull Government’s most recent cuts will hurt over 132,000 South Australian pensioners over the next decade, new figures show.
The Liberals’ plan to scrap the energy supplement will cut the household budgets of over 43,700 South Australians who currently rely on a pension or allowance, including over 7,900 age pensioners.
This will mean a cut of $365 a year for a single pensioner and a cut of $550 a year for couple pensioners.
Linda Burney will host a community forum with Amanda Rishworth to talk locals about the impact of the Turnbull Government’s cuts to pensioners.
Legislation currently before the Parliament will abolish the energy supplement for anyone who started to receive a pension or allowance after 20 September 2016.
This comes on top of the Government’s plan to increase the pension age to 70 – higher than the US, UK, New Zealand and Canada.
A Shorten Labor Government will reverse the Liberals’ cut to the pension and protect the energy supplement.
“This is an absolute kick in the guts for South Australian pensioners,” Linda Burney said.
“Pensioners will face impossible decisions when their payments are cut by the Turnbull Government.
“No-one should have to choose between turning the heater on and putting food on the table.
“It might not seem like much to someone like Malcolm Turnbull, but this cut will really hurt pensioners.
“The choice is simple: under Labor, all pensioners will continue to get their energy supplement, under the Liberals they won’t.”
“The Turnbull Government is completely out of touch – they want farmers, nurses and labourers to work until they are 70 and then get less in the pension,” Amanda Rishworth said.
“When it comes to backing pensioners or backing the top end of town – the Turnbull Government always chooses their big business mates.
“Labor’s priorities are clear – we are investing more in health and hospitals, scrapping the cut to the aged pension and addressing cost of living pressures, and we can afford to pay for this because we aren’t giving a $17 billion handout to the big banks.”
