QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Dr CHALMERS (Rankin—Treasurer) (14:32): One of the reasons why there's no better local member than the member for Blair in this place is that he backs superannuation because he backs workers. In fact, every single member on this side of the House backs super because we back Australian workers. The superannuation system is built on three pillars: universality, preservation and compounding returns.

All three of those things are at risk if any combination or coalition of those opposite wins the next election. Every dollar that a 25-year-old takes out of super now costs that person $3 at retirement. This is one of the main reasons why those opposite's attacks on superannuation are absolutely insane.

But their attacks would also put more people on the pension, which means it will cost the budget tens of billions of dollars, which means much bigger deficits and much more debt. That's the genius of their position! Consider what the IGR will tell us about the crucial role of super.

Even with a doubling of people over the pension age in the IGR period, spending on pensions will fall from 2.3 per cent of the economy to 1.8 per cent of the economy. The share of Australians on a pension will fall from 66 to 52 per cent at the same time as their retirement incomes go up because of superannuation. This is why super is so important.

It's why their intergenerational vandalism of the super system is stark raving mad. But, instead of rejecting the One Nation proposal, we know that the Liberals and Nationals actually want to replicate it. When the shadow treasurer, the member for Goldstein, was asked about the Liberals' own policy to end universal super, wind back the 12 per cent super guarantee and increase income taxes for workers, do you know what the member for Goldstein's actual quote was?

He said this: 'As far as I am aware, I am not aware of that policy.' That's the shadow treasurer, asked about the Liberals' own policy to attack super and jack up income taxes. They would slash retirement incomes and smash the budget just to imitate One Nation. The only difference of opinion over there between the Liberals, the Nationals and One Nation is what to get Gina for her birthday.

Otherwise, they are completely as one. The differences between this side of the House and that side of the House are absolutely clear. Labor backs workers and we back their super.

We will defend superannuation till our last breath. But that brown coalition of orange, blue and green is anti super for one reason, and that's because they're anti worker.