This morning on Sky News, Andrew Robb refused to guarantee the Opposition would offer pension rises of the same magnitude as the Government.
GILBERT: So you wouldnt raise the pension by that magnitude?Mr Abbott similarly refused to guarantee increased payments would be matched by the Opposition on ABC Brisbane yesterday, saying: I dont guarantee that our tax cuts will be the same as the Governments.
ROBB: No, no, no, well, no - what decisions we take in regards to the benefits that will accrue to different sections of the community, we will announce in advance. We have already said that we will
GILBERT: So no guarantee then? No guarantee itd be of that magnitude?
ROBB: Well, what I do guarantee is that we will lay out well ahead of the election the tax cuts and other benefits that will accrue to other parts of the community.
However Mr Hunt yesterday told Sky News that pensioners would be better off under the Oppositions package.
SPEERS: A final question, if you can clear up the Opposition's position on the compensation, the tax cuts, the family benefits, the pension rise that make all of this, will all of that go if the Coalition wins the election?If the Opposition want to give households and pensioners the same tax cuts and payment increases as the Government, they need to outline how they would fund these measures.
HUNT: We will have a package where Australian families are better off and Australian pensioners are better off.
The Gillard Government has outlined a clear plan to cut pollution and drive investment in clean energy. This is a plan that will deliver a pension increase on average $210 over and above the average price impact for a pensioner household.
Australians deserve to know the details and the cost of Mr Abbotts plan. They deserve the certainty of knowing whether he will clawback their tax cuts, payment increases and pension rises in the future.
