Senator NEWMAN (2:57 PM) —My question is directed to Senator Vanstone, the Minister for Family and Community Services. Will the minister inform the Senate of the benefits to pensioners of the increase in the pension rate that will take effect from 20 September? Can the minister also tell us what other benefits the government has provided to senior Australians?

Senator VANSTONE (Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women) —I thank Senator Newman for the question. There is some good news for Australian pensioners and people on disability support pensions, although I have to say, in the events of last week in the United States and the difficulties we are facing in Australia with Ansett, this good news tends to lose some of its gloss in a relative sense. I must say that I am very sorry personally that today, when we have got thousands of workers who might end up customers of my portfolio—we do not know that, and we are certainly working to ensure that does not happen—we have come into the first question time after these two events and have had nothing but a barrage of abuse from the opposition and no commitment, really, to work positively together. I feel that particularly strongly because I remember when I was in opposition and there were numbers of companies, not just Compass—

Opposition senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! There is too much noise in the chamber.

Senator VANSTONE —plenty of other companies, that went through the hoop and—Madam President, you may be able to help me—I cannot think of one company where the then Labor government immediately said, `We are prepared to meet the workers' statutory entitlements.' I do not think I can think of one. So the party that is there to protect the workers has wasted this question time and given no acknowledgment of the contribution this government has made in saying that at the very least we will meet those statutory requirements. There were some other additional payments that Ansett workers might hope to get from Ansett and, through that, Air New Zealand. There were some arrangements in the airline industry, as we all know—

Opposition senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! There is too much noise.

Senator VANSTONE —that are far more generous than in any other industry. Nonetheless, when an opposition and government—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Senator Robert Ray —Shut up, hypocrite.

The PRESIDENT —Order! Senator Ray and others on my left cease shouting. Senator McGauran, cease interjecting.

Senator Chris Evans —Madam President, I raise a point of order. Senator Newman asked the minister a question about older Australians. I think three minutes into the answer Senator Newman deserves an answer to her question rather than a rave from the minister on a subject totally unrelated to the question.

Honourable senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! The Senate will come to order and senators will cease speaking to each other across the chamber. If Senator Newman is unhappy with the answer, I am sure she will draw the matter to my attention.

Senator VANSTONE —Madam President, I am coming right now to Senator Newman's—

Senator Chris Evans —Madam President, on the point of order: I raised a question about the relevance of the minister's answer. I did not know it was up to the questioner to determine that; I thought that was your role as President. I ask you to rule on whether the answer is relevant to the question.

The PRESIDENT —I cannot direct the minister as to how she will answer the question as long as her answer is relevant to the question that has been raised.

Honourable senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —It would be helpful if there were fewer interjections because some ministers get distracted by interjections.

Senator Cook —Madam President, on the point of order: you are required to make sure, though, that a senator in answering a question does not debate the issue. What is quite clear here, from the answer thus far received from Senator Vanstone—

Honourable senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! The chamber is behaving in a disorderly fashion.

Senator Cook —I was making the point, Madam President, that the answer we have thus far received from Senator Vanstone not only has nothing to do with the question but is really in the form of a harangue about the alleged imperfections of the opposition— which is nothing to do even with the subject of the question—and must fall into the realm of debate. So would you direct her to cease debating the issue and to actually go back to the question, as the standing orders require a senator to do?

The PRESIDENT —The minister knows that she does not debate the answer.

Senator VANSTONE —Madam President, I am coming directly to Senator Newman's question. I understand the discomfort of the opposition in having it pointed out that they never guaranteed workers' entitlements. They never, ever guaranteed workers' entitlements. But, against that background, there is good news for nearly two million age pensioners. From 20 September, a single pensioner on a full pension will get an extra $221—the maximum single rate of pension will rise by $8.50 to $410.50 a fortnight. This increase is a combination of the CPI increase and an increase in the May quarter male total average weekly earnings figure— something Labor would not want to recognise because they never committed to giving pensioners 25 per cent of male total average weekly earnings. They never, ever committed to giving pensioners that additional benefit.

In March 1997, we legislated to set pensions at 25 per cent of MTAWE, as well as continuing to raise pensions in line with the CPI. Since the legislation took effect in March 1998, the increases to MTAWE have boosted the maximum single rate of pension by $16.20 a fortnight. I just emphasise that that is something Labor never did when they were in government. These pension increases are very important for pensioners. It is not easy for anyone living on a pension. The benefits are there for about 600,000 disability support pensioners and 400,000 sole parents. The government have done an enormous amount for elderly Australians—pensioners and self-funded retirees. We acknowledged them in the budget, in our package recognising older Australians, as being the people who made Australia what it is.

Senator NEWMAN —Madam President, I ask a supplementary question. I draw Senator Vanstone's attention to the fact that I specifically asked in my question a second point about what other benefits the government has provided to senior Australians. I am sure that senior Australians who have been listening to question time today, as well as those people who were working for Ansett who need to go to Centrelink immediately for assistance because they have no savings, would be grateful if they could have some opportunity to hear more about the government's actions on their behalf.

Senator Schacht —Was that a question or not, Madam President?

Honourable senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —I thought there was a question. If there was less noise in the chamber, there would be less doubt.

Senator VANSTONE (Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women) —I acknowledge that, at a time when thousands of Australians are worried about their jobs in relation to Ansett, those people who have got jobs in this chamber through the union movement treat it as a joke.

Senator Cook —You're out of order.

Senator VANSTONE —That's not for you to say.

The PRESIDENT —Order! Senator Vanstone—

Senator VANSTONE —Madam President, as you know, it is for you to tell me if I am out of order, not Senator Cook.

The PRESIDENT —I draw your attention to the question.

Senator VANSTONE —Thank you, Madam President, I will come to that. Senator Newman asks about additional benefits for elderly Australians. Of course, there was the $300 payment to everybody who was on an age pension or full pension or part thereof.

Senator VANSTONE —I am pleased to say that elderly Australians have got some manners that the likes of Senator Evans would never find. Hundreds of them wrote and thanked the government for that very timely acknowledgment of their contribution. Additionally, self-funded retirees of age pension age are now entitled to the same tax rebates as pensioners and many now have access to the same fringe benefits through the Commonwealth seniors health card.

Senator Hill —Madam President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.