JOINT PRESS RELEASE
THE HON. TONY ABBOTT MHR, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION SENATOR THE HON. MICHAEL RONALDSON, SHADOW MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS AND MR. STUART ROBERT MHR,SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND PERSONNEL
30 July 2013
FAIR INDEXATION OF MILITARY SERVICE PENSIONS
The Coalition will keep faith with Australia’s veterans by providing for the fair indexation of Defence Forces Retirement Benefits (DFRB) and the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits (DFRDB)
military superannuation pensions.
If elected, a Coalition government will ensure that DFRB and DFRDB military superannuation pensions are indexed in the same way as the age pension. Our commitment will apply to DFRB and DFRDB
superannuants aged 55 and over. Under current legislation, the government increases military superannuation pensions by the consumer price index. By contrast, the age pension is indexed according to a formula based around growth in the consumer price index, male total average weekly earnings and the pensioner and beneficiary living cost index.
If it’s inadequate to lift Centrelink pensions just by the consumer price index, it’s even less fair to apply only that index to those who have risked their lives for our country. Our promise will keep faith with the 57,000 recipients of military superannuation pensions by providing the fair indexation that Labor has not delivered.
In 2007 Mr Rudd promised fairness to the recipients of DFRB and DFRDB pensions and instead, they got nothing. The Minister for Defence Materiel, Mike Kelly, euphemistically described Mr Rudd’s broken
promise as “a reversal of the pre-election position”. Given the breach of trust by Mr Rudd, Coalition members and candidates have signed a written pledge to provide fair indexation in the next Parliament.
We will honour our pledge. We will keep our word. Australia’s veterans who have risked life and limb deserve better than a government that says one thing before an election and another thing after.
Our commitment today re-affirms our 2010 promise as well as our actions over the past three years. During the current parliament, we introduced legislation to provide fair indexation for veterans and their families.
The legislation was defeated by Labor and the Greens. We believe that Australia should protect and watch over its veterans and their future, in the same way our veterans protected and watched over our county. The Coalition’s commitment to providing fair indexation of military superannuation pensions is part of our Real Solutions Plan to build a stronger Australia and a better future for all Australians.
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