Bundaberg and Burnett pensioners who benefit from concession payments will not suffer any reduction in payments after the Queensland Government Old people celebrateannounced it would cover cuts announced in the Federal Budget.

The Queensland Government has listened to Queenslanders’ concerns and will act.

Pensioners and older Queenslanders have told us that they simply can’t wear the cost of filling the gap between Queensland’s increased contribution, and the Commonwealth Government’s concessions cuts and increased fees and taxes.

We’ve not only listened to Queenslanders, but we’ve acted, within the space of two days, to reinstate the full level of pensioner and senior concessions.

Passing on part of the Commonwealth’s cuts to pensioner concessions is clearly not an acceptable outcome for Queenslanders.

It is only the LNP Government that has a strong plan for our pensioners, demonstrated in this week’s state budget which increased concessions by $26 million.

In contrast, Queensland Labor sits silent on the carbon tax, one of the biggest cost of living impacts on pensioners.

The Commonwealth should be bearing the burden of these cuts, not Queenslanders.

The Premier, my parliamentary colleagues and I will be continuing to send a clear message to the Commonwealth that Queenslanders won’t stand for these kinds of cuts.

It is the Commonwealth Government that’s caused this problem with pensioner cuts and increased charges.

We’re very conscious of the ‘double whammy’ impact of the Federal Government’s changes to pensions and the removal of concessions funding.