New Liberal leader Peter Dutton has called for the Albanese government to adopt changes to the pension scheme to ease pressures on the labour market.

Dutton, in Perth to announce his party’s first major piece of reform since entering opposition, calling for a cut in the earning threshold for pensioners.

He told Mark Gibson on 6PR Breakfast pensioners should be free to double their earnings to $600 a fortnight before their government allowance begins to taper off.

“Let’s allow people to take up those jobs… it’s a travesty to see fruit rotting on trees or vines that can’t be picked, when you see aged care under staffed,” he said.

Tap PLAY below to hear Peter Dutton discuss other benefits of the plan