Alex Hawke welcomes Senate motion condemning Gillard Labor Government over military superannuation failures

Thursday, 28 February 2013

Alex Hawke MP, Federal Member for Mitchell, said that the passing of a Coalition motion in the Senate calling for the fair indexation of military superannuation would be welcomed by many veterans in Mitchell.

 “The passing of the Coalition’s motion by the Senate today in support of fair indexation for Australia’s 57,000 military superannuants is a clear message to the Prime Minister and the Government she leads.

“The Gillard Labor Government can no longer hide from its 2007 pre-election commitment to support fair indexation.

“We need real action on this issue sooner rather than later. This is an issue that I am particularly passionate about and one is raised again and again in the many conversations I have with veterans in our community, Alex Hawke said.

“Today’s motion won’t of itself lift pensions, but it is a powerful vote of confidence for fair indexation and a powerful vote of no confidence in the Gillard Labor Government.

“Labor must now stop delaying the consideration of the Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill 2012, where the Coalition has proposed Fair Indexation amendments, and finally live up to its 2007 pre-election position of supporting Fair Indexation.

“I know that while veterans in Mitchell will welcome this motion in support of fair indexation, the only way to see it enacted is to change the government at the next election,” Alex Hawke concluded.

Below: Copy of Coalition motion agreed to in the Senate today.

That the Senate:

a)      notes that the average annual DFRDB military superannuation pension in 2011-12 was $24,603;

b)      condemns the Gillard Labor Government for Its ongoing and stubborn refusal to grant 57,000 Australian military superannuants and their families a fair go;

c)      denounces the Labor Party for misleading veterans before the 2007 election into believing that Labor would actually deliver fair indexation, a point highlighted by Senator Lundy and Minister Kelly in their letter to former finance minister Tanner of 14 September 2009; and

d)      criticises the Government for its ongoing failure to schedule a time for the Senate to consider the Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 and thus denying the Senate the opportunity to debate and vote on the Coalition’s amendments to provide fair indexation for these men and women who have served their nation.