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A Letter To The Prime Minister

A Letter To The Prime Minister

Dear Mr Turnbull,

I’m writing an open letter to congratulate you on your victory and present some issues which are relevant to older Australians and where we’d like to see action.

The FiftyUp Club has just reached a milestone of 200,000 members around the country and as well as easing cost of living pressures for the group we also campaign for change which benefits them.

As a sprightly 61-year-old you hardly  need reminding that almost 50% of the electorate  are aged over 50 and are the fastest growing age cohort.

Top of our list would have to be the super reforms. Even before the Budget, and the election campaign,  in one of our polls 35% were worried by changes to super tax concessions.

And while our membership has in the past been supportive to some reforms there remains widespread confusion as to your proposals and their impacts.

Reports this week suggest there’s considerable division in the coalition ranks as to the way the $1.6 million cap on retirement funds might work in reality.

In addition the shadow of alleged retrospectivity continues to hang over the $500,000 cap on non-concessional contributions.

The one area our members, who come from both sides of the political divide, would agree with is that making super fairer for those with far from flash balances is a good move.

But they might also warn that changes to superannuation rules and concessions should only be well-considered, rare and subject to industry and consumer consultation.

It now appears the edicts handed down on super in the May Budget, and then taken straight to the election, will be subject to much-needed scrutiny and discussion as to their effectiveness.

But there’s much to do beyond super and here’s a brief summary of matters, not exhaustive and in no special order, which we shall be following up with your and government over your next term.

Access to work for mature aged workers: Susan Ryan, the outgoing Age and Disability Discrimination Commissioner, dropped a through report called Willing to Work just as the campaign begun. Don’t let it gather dust and do embrace some of the very sensible recommendations.

Many more older Australians can and want to work and government can provide the leadership to make this happen. Her suggestion of a Longevity Minister in the cabinet to address all the issues, both positive and negative around the ageing population should be a no-brainer.

Reforms to Private Health Insurance: If in any other area someone tried to sell a product with so many terms and conditions, and costs and catches,  they would be taken to task, or court, for daring to call it ‘insurance’. Quite what one is insured against is too often hard to know. We know reforms are in the pipeline and many suggestions will involve, as they have in the past, shifting more costs onto consumers. We are near breaking point. A recent poll of ours found private health insurance was the number one cost of living pressure. Please properly consider and consult with the consumers of this product when it comes to making changes.

Real action of energy prices: This is fast overtaking PHI and returning to dominate consumer’s fears about how they pay electricity bills which are climbing yet again. While much of the control has been in the domain of the states we are mainly (excluding Tasmania and WA) beholden to the National Electricity Market and the hollow sounding claims it works in the ‘long term interests of consumers’. You might not be able to fix all the problems but you can rally together those who might and put them to work.

I hope you won’t mind if we share this list with other players in federal parliament, such as the opposition and independents. Many sectional interest groups will be clamouring for attention in this term and the FiftyUp Club and those it seeks to represent do not intend to be left at the end of the line,

Yours sincerely

Christopher Zinn

Spokesman FiftyUp Club

 

 

Originally posted on .

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A Letter To The Prime Minister

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Barry
Barry from VIC commented:

Sadly, I am of the opinion your letter will fall on deaf ears. 

Sue
Sue from VIC commented:

Totally agree with you John from NSW, the 'rort' of super benefits and pensions that exiting or retiring politicians receive is disgusting - they should be subjected to the same checks and balances/constraints like the rest of us. Also why weren't gay marriage and legalising euthanasia put out for public vote at the last election - these are critical issues that the Nation should have a say on and not just voted on by our so called 'political representatives'! ... a few things to advocate for there. Sue Victoria 

John
John from NSW commented:

Great work Christopher these are all items that worry us pensioners and suck up what little funds we have left to live on, the other thing that gets me down are the benefits going to politicians when they retire, no body in other industries receive these benefits and they just go on forever using up tax p[ayers funds. 

William
William from NSW commented:

the letter is just the entrée,how about revising all the rules for tax avoidance and having a hard look at all the bludgers sucking taxpayers money out of the government including the types we are letting into this country from cultures that do not recognise stealing as a crime , not a smart way of funding yourself. 

Someone
Someone from QLD commented:

sack these greedy money-grubbing parasites!! I for one am sick of paying for everybody else, time to look after us!! Kym 

Janet
Janet from NSW commented:

OH YES !!!!Thank goodness someone else is interested in Punctuation and Spelling. If nothing else, Turnbull should know how to do those and this letter would irritate for that alone. 

Lee
Lee from VIC commented:

Thought the PHI discussion (above) was meaningless and invites 'drifting' 'please properly consult...? We need Much more than this! ...all else common sense (even to Mr Turnbull), but no monitoring and response with locked in agendas/plans sought??? 

Susan
Susan from NSW commented:

Great letter, but what about the annual contribution limit from $35 K to $25 K for those of us in "Transition to Retirement" who have to work as we aren't anywhere in the league of those with $1.6 m. This really penalises those less well off. 

Puthuparambil
Puthuparambil from NSW commented:

You have ignored the disgusting and stupid change introduced to Age Pension eligibility in 2015, i.e. the revised Assets Test from Jan 2017, which needs to be reversed as it punishes people who saved and tried to be on just part-pensions - by imposing a 7.8% reduction in Pensions foe assets over the full Age Pension limit, resulting in losses of up to / around $14,000 annually for part-pensioners. The 1.6Mil cap is not such an issue. Suggest you look at other websites such as YLC where many people have demanded / screamed for the disgusting & unfair Asset Test changes to be reversed immediately. 

George
George from NSW replied to Puthuparambil:

Chris: The 1.6 Mil cap and the cap on after-tax contributions of $500K rate both issues which the rich have, and are OK as Super should not be used fior tax savings for the rich!! Why don't you focus on reversing the Assets Test / taper rate changes coming in from Jan 2017 as 300-400,000 self-funding retirees with only mid-level savings are going to be severely affected? 

Garrey
Garrey from QLD commented:

good letter Chris, important topics big bussiness should pay ALL relevent taxes and there fair share not bank off shore to avoid same lift the tax burden off small buisness and the workers .Self funded retirees should get more tax relief as they have sacrificed a lot so as not to be a strain on the pention,handouts ect 

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