Liberal Democrat Senator Wants To Restrict Pensions Saying Being Poor Is “Nothing To Be Proud Of”

Crossbench senator David Leyonhjelm has criticised recent restrictions to aged pensions as being too weak, despite it affecting more than 300,000 older Australians.

“Taking the pension shouldn’t be something you aspire to, it should be something you try to avoid because it signifies you're in a low income group — in other words you're poor, or close to poor," he told the ABC.

Senator Leyonhjelm wants aged pensions to be seen as welfare, rather than an entitlement to receive once they reach a certain age.

“We really have to get over this idea that you don’t have to save for your own retirement and your own old age,” he said.

David Leyonhjelm says taking the pension "nothing to be proud of" so I assume he will refuse his parliamentary pension when he's done...

— Wil Anderson (@Wil_Anderson) January 3, 2017

The federal government implemented huge changes to the age pension, which came into effect on January 1 of this year.

Most changes are to do with asset testing, which may either increase a pensioner’s entitlements – or decrease, them. In some cases, all entitlements may be stripped.

Shadow Minister for Ageing Shayne Neumann said while the changes may benefit a few, the new assets test would lessen or eliminate pensions for a large number of seniors with substantial investments.

“This policy is flawed,” said the Minister. “The cuts will impose disincentives to save, and strong incentives to spend down assets… this is not in the best interests of pensioners, or the sustainability of the system as a whole.”

Senator Leyonhjelm wants the restrictions to go even further, saying Australians need to reinforce the notion that “when you retire you will only receive the pension if you’re poor and it’s nothing to be proud of.”

After today's brain-fart, I fully expect @DavidLeyonhjelm to no longer accept the taxpayers' funds he pockets each month #hypocrite #auspol

— John Wren (@JohnWren1950) January 2, 2017

Photo: YouTube (@LiberalDemocrats)