Joe Hockey signals big changes will come after next election

Joe Hockey is continuing his efforts to soften up voters for unpopular budget cuts next month – but he’s signalled many of the controversial changes will be positioned on the other side of an election.

The treasurer has been giving industrial-sized hints that the government will move to increase the pension age to 70, and introduce co-payments for some services, including doctor’s visits, in an effort to make federal finances more sustainable over the longer term.

But given that Tony Abbott promised without qualification during the election campaign not to touch pensions or reduce health and education spending, Labor has been building up its “broken promises” critique in response to the Coalition’s pre-budget positioning.

The ALP has released a new advertisement reminding voters of the prime minister’s various pre-election statements on the aged pension.

Hockey on Thursday signalled that some of the big changes would not take effect in this electoral cycle, but after the next federal poll. “We are honouring our commitments and in relation to many of the structural changes that we have to make, the Australian people have the opportunity to make decisions at the next election,” the treasurer told the ABC.

Seniors groups have soundly rebuffed the government’s attempts to inoculate itself from an electoral backlash – warning the government they will regard any change to the aged pension as a broken promise, regardless of when it takes effect.

On Wednesday evening Hockey used a major speech to confirm the long-anticipated Commission of Audit would be released next Thursday – and to point to efforts by the Coalition over time to restore budget sustainability with measures including increased co-payments and means testing for transfer payments.

Hockey all but confirmed the government would apply a co-payment to GP’s visits. “Well, that is certainly something that is in the mix – the fact is that Medicare is growing at twice the speed of the economy,” he said.

“We all have to make contribution because nothing is for free. Nothing can remain for free.”

On aged pensions, he said: “Well, there is an inevitability that at some point we have to increase the age pension age, but it is well into the future.

“We should celebrate the fact that we are living longer. We should celebrate the fact that effectively one in every three children born today are going to live to 100. We should also not see someone's life ending when they turn 65 or 70.”

The shadow finance minister, Tony Burke, rejected the government’s qualifications. “The day before the election Tony Abbott made, in no uncertain terms, a commitment that there would be no changes to pensions, no changes to pensions,” he said.

“There is no way of reading what Joe Hockey said last night other than by recognising that they are gearing up to break that promise.”