RobP that was a good post, I am aware Turnbull is running on another's plan in the short term.
The pensioner fiasco has Nelson all over it.
And he is just in the chair and it will take time to truly lead.
However the fact is how many will change their vote because of the lies about pensions?
Obstructionism is not policy making, right now many are concerned at a senate not truly representing majority views.
Readers should not be surprised if we do not wait too long for an election, of both houses.
It is my view Rudd should put all lost bills back to the Senate right now.
So he can do what he must in time call an election of both houses.
Now is the time Turnbull is no mug he will get better.
If he is not just too sneaky for his own good.
An election held today would forever remove that miss named rat bag family first and we would all be better for it.

JW,
You forget the Howard Government did give bounus to pensioners without them having to beg as they are now. Things are much harder than they were back then and the icrease is needed RIGHT NOW.
Something Macolm Trurbull has rightly pointed out.
In contrast Rudd said He agreed they could not live on what they get but- They would have to wait until 2009.
Now the way I see it is its not going to win him too many votes.

In six months its become impossible for these single elderly people to live. We are dealing with things as they are NOW and Rudd has said NOW people cant live on it.
SO they need it now and not to talk about how it was before the price hike.
Its sad people dont care about our most elderly who paid the taxes so people like you could have a better life.
This isnt something to play with or to win points. Its a real need by these people who are buying dog food for goodness sake. They need it now.

Labor are now in a real dilemma.If they use the surplus to shore up an impending economic catastrophy,then they will look like economic incompetents.So the Libs have put them in a bind over pensions.Tax revenues could soon be shrinking due to a global economic downturn and to spend the surplus so soon, will make them much weaker come the next election.

Labor will have to be Mr Scrooge until the next election so they will have funds to bribe the pensioners and other minority groups.

PALEIF, you say pensioners need the increase now and praise Malcolm for asking for it. You're misunderstanding Malcolm's motivation. If Malcolm really cared about pensioners he would push for an increase for ALL pensioners. What about the several million pensioners who miss out under Malcolm's plan? Does he care? Of course not, if he did he would include them. Under his plan they get NO increase, not now, not ever. By concentrating only on old age pensioners, he thought he could obtain the high moral ground and thus political advantage. Pensioners know he completely ignored their payment amounts during the previous 4 years he'd been in government. Pensioners know the deceit the Liberals are now showing. Pensioners know the Liberals are not genuinely interested in increases for all pensioners. The Liberals have shamed themselves because of their political, disingenuous legislation they introduced into the senate. They don't particularly care about pension increases, they care about gaining the political advantage. They've lost badly on this issue.

SallyG,
Pensioners need the increase now. This is only for single aged pensioners because their level of funds isnt anywhere near than of two aged people.

Things have before not just tough but impossible for these poor old darlings living by themselves.

Also as far as I am personally concerned serious changes need to be put in place urgently re many of these so called invalid pensions.

I dont mind if someone is really disablied but it would appear by looking around in biz hours there are thousands on welfare that could and should get a job like the elderly people who worked and paid many taxes.

I bet Rudd gives all this money out for people to be paid a wage to stay home and have babies. We will know very soon.

Now there is another thing the people who built this country didnt get.

Well if he can pay somebody to plan to get pregnant to stay home for three months on pay he can help our sinlge elderly now.

And' if those people planning to use our tax dollars for breeding puropses had any common deceny they would be telling Rudd to fix the single elderly that are going without food first!