LYONS Liberal MHR Eric Hutchinson says that Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten should be ashamed of frightening older Tasmanians with lies about pension cuts.
An angry Mr Hutchinson said he was disappointed that Mr Shorten had chosen a visit to Tasmania this morning to continue his party’s scaremongering on what Labor believed might come from next month’s Federal Budget.
Mr Shorten said in a joint statement with Opposition Social Services spokeswoman Jenny Macklin that the Budget would hurt 98,800 Tasmanian pensioners.
He said that more people would be affected in Lyons than any other electorate in Tasmania because Lyons had 22,900 pensioners.
He also suggested that an increase to the retirement age would hurt Tasmanians who work in physically demanding blue-collar jobs.
Mr Hutchinson rejected Mr Shorten’s claims as more Labor lies.
“This is speculation – the Budget has not been handed down yet. It will be handed down on May 13,’’ Mr Hutchinson said.
Prior to the last election, the Federal Coalition said that it would not cut the age pension, Mr Hutchinson said.
“The age pension will not be less tomorrow than it is today and people turning 65 tomorrow will certainly not have to wait five years to retire,’’ Mr Hutchinson said.
“To keep our commitments, there will be no changes to the pension during this term of Parliament – that is, no changes before 2017.
“But there should be changes to the indexation arrangements and eligibility thresholds in three years’ time.’’
Mr Hutchinson said that pensioners would actually be better off under the Federal Coalition Government.
“We are scrapping the carbon tax but keeping the compensation for the costs of the tax,’’ he said.
Lyons Liberal MHR Eric Hutchinson
