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