Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. This morning I met with Liz St Clare Long. She is a war widow whose husband actually served in Vietnam. Ms Long told me that her husband voted for the coalition at the last election based upon the Prime Minister's promise that pensions would not be cut. Why has the Prime Minister broken his word to war widows and veterans by cutting the indexation rate of war widows' pensions?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yet again, the Leader of the Opposition is simply wrong. Pensions go up every single year. They go up not once but twice every single year. Next month pensions will go up, as they always go up every September.

Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not by the same rate.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Wakefield is warned!

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Next March pensions will go up, as they always go up every March. Every September pensions will go up. Every March pensions will go up. The Leader of the Opposition should stop running around the country scaring people with lies. That is what the Leader of the Opposition is doing—he is running around the country scaring people with lies. He should stop doing it.

Mr Shorten interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will desist his chatter.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What he should have said to the lady that he spoke to is not only will pensions continue to go up every six months under this government but this government has abolished the carbon tax. It has kept the carbon tax compensation, so the average household is $550 a year better off thanks to this government. This is a government which keeps its commitments. This is a government which delivers a better deal for all Australians, including pensioners and war pensioners.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker—

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very happy to occupy this if it stops you from telling more of your outrageous fibs.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I call the honourable member for Mallee.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order?

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I seek to table the cuts to veterans' affairs by this promise-breaking Prime Minister.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is leave granted? Leave is not granted.