Time to give the over 50's a voice in budget debates on tax, retirement and work

Greg aged 60. I am a professional self employed and will continue to work as long as I can. Anyone over 65 who chooses to retire either on full, part or partial pension should be left alone. In fact these people should receive the best tax and super benefits. they have paid their fare share of taxes over lifetime. The govt pension for people over 70 and not working should be increased. All our politicians receive "pensions" when they finish and this is independent of whether they receive other incomes and have investments. Cut these out totally or at least make them adjustable like any other pension payments and means tested based on their assets etc. We have too many politicians and they receive too much for what they do! EVERYONE has to make sacrifices NOW including them and they should be leading the examples. if not then this country is stuffed. The GST could be raised to 12-15% on everything, no exemptions, and the flat tax rate for every dollar earned in Australia could be set at 15% and there be NO tax deductions on anything - like other prosperous countries UAE, Singapore etc. I'd like to see economic calculations on those changes and how it would affect our budget. Put a 20% tax on everything that we IMPORT into our country like food, clothing, cars etc EVERYTHING! The Farmers deserve more assistance than they receive in times of hardships as is occurring now in QLD and NSW WA. Stop selling our prime land to offshore countries. At least our Govt could buy it to help farmers out or LEASE the land for 50 years. NOT SELL IT!! Our voting system has proved to be totally useless and not a true DEMOCRATIC system, when a small percentage (3 or 4) people who only receive 1 or 2 % of secondary votes, can control what the people elected parties are voted in for. ONE person ONE PRIMARY vote!!! The most votes gets Government. 

I find it incredible that the people who make the rules that we have to live by can receive a huge pension and it is handed on to their partners when they die and they can still be on the boards of companies and earn millions and still not lose their pension but we do if we earn a meagre $50 or $60 a week where is the justice in this. The politicians should be made to practice what they preach and do without some of their kickbacks they are getting not cutting poor pensioners and telling them how to do without when the cigar they are smoking is probably half of their food allowance a week. They have worked 45-50 years and now want a bit of time to enjoy life but in a lot of cases can not afford to. How about cutting out the politicians pension and see how they like it!!!!!!!!!! 

We pay income tax and other taxes each year. The budget only attempts to raise enough money for one, or occasionally up to four years. That is all the tax we pay. There is no provision for future yars; that is until the employers contribution for superannuation. No matter if we have paid taxes for fifty years we stills rely on this years budget for this years benefits .Richard 

When will people realise that the GST increases exponentially with the rise in product prices daily. .??? 

Whenever there are discussions about changing the pension, they never mention politicians or other ex government employees. Until they do, leave pensioners alone. As for negative gearing, I'm not in favor of totaling abolishing it. But I do believe they should limit the claims. Maybe to a couple of properties or even limit the interest expense to $1m. This will still provide the necessary housing but limit the tax deductions. 

I agree with most comments here that we have done our bit and paid our taxes so the generations following have had the chance for a better life than us that they don't appreciate. As far as raising the GST I think it should be lowered and retirees should be exempted from paying any tax on electricity, gas. water and any other government charges. We lived in a time where there was no government handouts and we had to fund our children's upbringing and pay for everything ourselves now they want the pensioners to keep paying the same rate of tax after we have retired so the workers and politicians can continue to be showered with huge wages and government largesse. Where will it all end??? 

The majority of us 50`s and over have put our efforts and resources into raising a family, attend work day in day out for the good the family and in effect to the community at large. Our focus is to the foundation of what realy matters, we do this without much complaining for it is a mentality given to us by our generation before who just got on and did what was neccassary...and IT WORKED!! Its time,I believe, politians shifted their focus away from themselves and their parties and make decisions for the good of the community and to this LUCKY country. P.S Stop the hand outs!! 

We have worked, raised our children and have not had nor wanted assistance from other tax payers. We have not claimed a pension but are finding it difficult with low returns with interest. GST should be raised but nobody whould be able to claim benefits from the taxpayer untill they have paid taxes, young persons should be in school or work nobody should be allowed to opt out of society and expect taxpayers to keep them. There are huge inequalities in society we will never get rid of them untill everyone decides or is made to pull their weight and cease relying on the willing citizen and taxpayer to keep them and the country running. Patricia 

the government wants everyone to make sacrifices for the budget im 58 years old my wife and myself have worked all our lives, paid our taxes, paid our own health care, asked for nothing and received same ( we are not well off by any means ) , as far as im concerned until the government is on the same level as the ordinary Australian in retirement, and stops wasting our money and does something itself for the good of the country, I refuse to sacrifice any more . 

H from NSW: The hardest done by in our country are self funded retirees,paid taxes for 50 years and now receive no benefit not even a health card while many,not all, waste money on cigs,gambling,grog and expensive holidays then claim pension what a rort