Labor's federal leader believes the superannuation system needs defending from an "unholy coalition" of social services organisations and economists.
Anthony Albanese vowed to improve Australia's superannuation system as he took aim at those arguing against an increase to payments.
"At the moment we are witnessing an unholy coalition attacking the increase in the superannuation guarantee," he told the Queensland Media Club in Brisbane on Wednesday.
"They want to see super wound back or abolished. The prescriptions of ACOSS and others play into the hands of the Liberal and National parties."
Superannuation was an important part of Australia's economic success, providing the nation with ballast, he said.
The guarantee is due to increase from 9.5 to 10 per cent in 2021/22 and then rise in annual increments to hit 12 per cent in 2025/26.
Some Liberal and Nationals MPs are worried increasing compulsory superannuation will make it harder for employers to keep staff and offer them pay rises.
"I'm very sceptical about the need to do that," Liberal senator James Paterson told Sky News.
The Australian Council of Social Service used its budget submission to say the increase should only go ahead if it's coupled with changes to how contributions are taxed.
And the Grattan Institute think tank has argued the increase would hurt wages.
Mr Albanese rejected that, saying if that theory was correct then wages should have gone up when the government delayed the increase from 9.5 to 12 per cent.
"That hasn't happened," he said.
"All we've seen is that people's retirement incomes have been undermined."
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg reiterated that the government had no plans to change the legislated superannuation increases.
Mr Albanese used the speech to lay out a plan to help older Australians.
Labor's positive ageing strategy would include training for older workers to help them back into jobs, more dementia-friendly communities and spaces, and more intergenerational care where older and younger Australians can be cared for together.
A Labor government would also try to improve the superannuation imbalance between men and women.
Mr Frydenberg accused the opposition leader of failing to address what would become of Labor's 2019 election policy to cut franking credit rebates.
"The Labor party might be talking about the ageing of the population but what we do know is that their plan was for higher taxes for our seniors across the Australian economy," he told reporters.
Australian Associated Press
