Greens forward the idea of increasing the pension last time ... and Labor/Liberals voted it down. then Liberals caved ... then Labor.

Will it happen again?



Ex-diggers require more for pensions

A group of retired defence personnel and their families has launched a campaign in marginal electorates calling for a better deal on military superannuation pensions.

The group wants military pensions to be brought back into line with cost of living pressures after a decade of neglect.

"The Labor government has refused to budge on this issue," the group's spokesman David Jamison told an audience of retirees in Canberra on Wednesday.

The coalition, Australian Greens and Family First have all offered some support.

"There is nothing like an election to stir the hearts and the minds and we've decided to take this fight into the public arena."

Mr Jamison said he has had meetings with a succession of ministers including Veterans Affairs Minister Alan Griffin and retiring Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner.

The electorates to be targeted comprise a cross-section of coalition and Labor seats.

They include Maxine McKew's suburban Sydney electorate of Bennelong, the NSW coastal seat of Robertson where ousted Labor MP Belinda Neal is threatening to run as an independent and Hasluck in Western Australia held by Labor's Sharryn Jackson

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/exdiggers-want-more-for-pensions-20100728-10vmw.html

Veterans retirement and incapacitation pensions have always been based on 3/5ths of stuff all, I doubt that will ever change, sadly.

My own Vet affairs pension is now the princely sum of $15 per fortnight and I'm damn priveledged to have it.  8-)

Maximum sacrifice, minimum reward, it's what we sign on for, at least that's what we have been told.

Increase it. Simple.  Next topic.

Pensions, DSP, Veterans Pensions shouldnt be election fodder.