Member for Isaacs Mark Dreyfus says next weeks Budget will hit the most vulnerable members of our community the hardest.
Member for Isaacs Mark Dreyfus says next weeks Budget will hit the most vulnerable members of our community the hardest.
More than 23,600 pensioners across Isaacs face cuts to public services and increased costs for healthcare because of Tony Abbotts broken promises and twisted Budget priorities.
Tony Abbotts Budget will make life even more difficult for pensioners already struggling to pay bills and buy groceries on an annual income of $20,000, Mr Dreyfus said.
The National Commission of Audit established by the Abbott Government has recommended that the Government impose a $15 fee for visits to doctors, and $5 fee for every medical prescription as well as an emergency department tax on hospitals.
Following a public outcry the Abbott Government now claims it will postpone pension cuts until 2016 but havent ruled out making it harder to claim the pension by means testing the family home and increasing the retirement age to 70.
Mr Dreyfus electorate office has received many calls from pensioners in South Dandenong, Noble Park and Keysborough who are anxious about their ability to make ends meet after this Budget. One woman said that her health issues made regular GP visits a necessity that she will now be unable to afford.
This Government continues to put the interests of the wealthiest Australians ahead of our most vulnerable citizens. It is unacceptable that our pensioners should be made to carry the heaviest burden of Tony Abbotts unfair cuts, Mr Dreyfus said.
