On ya maddy, I agree that pensioners deserve a better deal.

I feel that many are just unable to cope with the bureaucratic maze, which they need to negotiate to receive all entitlements.

We see many who can play the system like a maestro, and others who cannot, unfortunately they dip out.

Simplify and improve.
Making things work simply, is one of the most difficult things to achieve.

freediver wrote on May 17^th, 2008 at 9:21am:


Age Pensioners get about $270 a week.  I wouldn't call it free money, most of them paid taxes all their working lives and superannuation was almost unknown when they were in the workforce.  

deepthought wrote on May 17^th, 2008 at 3:36pm:


Most of the elderly that I know get a War Widow's Pension and own their own homes.  They would be more than offended if they thought people like Freediver considered their pittance "free money".

Perhaps Freediver's oldies are still working to pay off the Mortgage?

People who are currently entitled to the Age Pension were born either before WW2 or during it.

Babyboomers are those born from about 1950-1960, so in the 58-48 age group and most would have been entitled to superannuation for most of their working lives to save for their retirement.  

freediver wrote on May 17^th, 2008 at 5:11pm:


You are wasting your talent running a Forum, mate.  You should be a stand up comedian.  

deepthought wrote on May 17^th, 2008 at 9:14pm:


The pension is too low it should be twice that amount and I think that Rudd should have given them a rise, but how do you address the issue? I mean they really need a serious rise . All that said its interesting to see the Liberals and all their huggers comming out and whinging about it, they had twelve years to improve the conditions for pensioners and failed .

freediver wrote on May 18^th, 2008 at 10:46am:


If you understood economics you would understand that by not increasing it, it is being reduced.  Since the Liebor government started buggering Australia costs have blown out with all utilities and basics rising at a level not seen for more than a decade, fuel is at record prices and interest rates are where they were when Cheating had everyone by the balls.

Yet the pension did not increase.  Even more deliberately cruel was that when Cardboard Kev slashed the seniors bonus then caved in to public pressure and reinstated it he promised to make it a part of forward estimates.  He did not do that.  He broke his promise to seniors. 

And he rattled on about 'working families' until everyone threw up but not once did he bother to mention pensioners.  In fact he gave 'working families' a tax cut and an increase in the tax threshold but he did not do the same for pensioners who pay tax on earned income from interest.

Further to that by shifting the income threshold on the medicare income levy he encouraged hundreds of thousands to abandon private health which will cause the premiums to rise.  People on fixed incomes (read pensioners) will get hit the hardest by rises in private health.

So I suggest a look at the big picture mate.  As a leftard your focus is, as always, too narrow.

freediver wrote on May 18^th, 2008 at 1:57pm:


Yes, almost everyone did.  "But he did not do the same for pensioners who pay tax on earned income from interest".

Why is it necessary to say it twice before you hear it?