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On the eve of the federal election, Tony Abbott promised there would be no cuts to key services if the Coalition was elected.
Abbott was interviewed on the SBS News at 6.30pm on Friday, September 6, 2013.
He promised: “No cuts to education, no cuts to health, no change to pensions, no change to the GST, and no cuts to the ABC or SBS.”
This is the text of a joint press release from the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and the Treasurer, Wayne Swan.
It details the government’s strategy for responding to the global financial crisis.
Economic Security Strategy
The Rudd Government today announced a $10.4 billion Economic Security Strategy to strengthen the Australian economy in the face of the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression.
This $10.4 billion strategy will strengthen the national economy and support Australian households, given the risk of a deep and prolonged global economic slowdown. [Read more…]
The Federal Government has announced an “economic security package” containing 5 initiatives worth $10.4 billion, including a boost to pensions, assistance to first home buyers and low income earners, more training places, and a “bringing forward” of infrastructure plans.
Speaking at a joint press conference with the Treasurer, Wayne Swan, the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said that from December 8 single pensioners will receive a lump sum payment of $1,400 in December. Couples will receive $2,100. This payment will carry pensioners through until the next budget when the government’s review of pension arrangements will be announced. This measure is worth $4.8 billion.
There will be a $3.9 billion package of assistance to low and middle income earners. Around 3.8 million dependent children and children in various forms of care will receive a one-off payment of $1,000 on December 8. [Read more…]
One of the first legislative acts of the Whitlam government in 1973 was to increase social security benefits.
On February 28, 1973, the Minister for Social Security, Bill Hayden, introduced the Social Services Bill 1973 into the House of Representatives.
The bill sought to increase all pensions and unemployment and sickness benefits by amounts ranging from $1.50 to $14.00 a week. Hayden said the cost of the measures would be $126 million in a full year.
This is Social Security Minister Bill Hayden’s Second Reading Speech on the Social Services Bill 1973.
Mr HAYDEN (Oxley) (Minister for Social Security) – I move:
That the Bill be now read a second time.
The Bill provides for generous increases in all pensions and in unemployment and sickness benefits by amounts ranging from $1.50 a week to $14 a week. Furthermore it provides for payment of the pension increases to be made retrospectively from and including the first pay day for each category of pension occurring after the election of this Government. The cost of these proposals, and others benefiting dependants which I shall outline a little later, will be $126m in a full year and $66.2m for this financial year.
This Bill provides a common benefit rate for all pensions and for unemployment and sickness benefits of $21.50 a week standard rate and $37.50 a week married rate. In doing this it removes several seriously unjust, penalising anomalies. This Bill has promptly honoured the undertaking of the Prime Minister made when he delivered the policy speech of the Australian Labor Party. He said then: [Read more…]