That great sector of the Australian community, retirees, is being set upon again by government. The issue has passed barely noticed in the media but the political consequences for the Turnbull Government are sure to be profound.
On January 1, 2017, changes to the aged care assets test will see more than 100,000 Australians lose their part pension payments in entirety. More than 300,000 will have their pension payments cut.
There is a perception many retirees are rolling in money. They have assets many could only dream of. Perhaps that’s why the media has shunned the issue.
Let me ask the question, who among us could lose 20 per cent of our household incomes and come away unscathed?
It gets worse. With the loss of the pension, the government will also cancel retirees’ pensioner concession cards which allow them to enjoy discounts on council rates, car rego, energy bills and public transport tickets. Back of the envelope, that’s three grand per annum retirees will have to find.
Full column here.
Dismayed is correct about .the pensioners with nothing. Still a lot better off than the dole though. Why isn’t the rate of super being increased if it is all such a problem? My staff get 12.5% and I am paying it out of my pocket. A lot of oldies are whingers IMHO.
OT but look at what those greenie one world govt types at NOAA have got to say http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/Report-Card/Report-Card-2016 but I forgot that facts mean SFA in this brave new world. No wonder I feel like John Savage.
I sincerely trust we are NOT saying that a couple approaching the tail end of their golden years, in the retirement phase of their lives, living in their own unencumbered home and with +800k in their kick, are down on their uppers.
If we are, I shall have to seriously reappraise my belief in the worth, value and influence bequeathed to us all by the likes of John Keynes, Adam Smith, Gustav Cassel, et al. I shall also be more confused than ever about Dewey’s contribution to renascent liberalism.
My parents (rest their souls) would surely be turning over in their graves if it were so.
Unfortunately decisions about the great unwashed are made by people with no experience in the real world, but who will remain comfortably off in retirement with Government pensions. I work in the resources game, and have suffered through a few downturns, and I was not in the position in the upturns to make a fortune – I worked hard in the good times, and had a reasonable life, but in the current downturn have managed to pay bills, and have gone through savings from the good times.
Some people I went through university with ended up working at AGSO, and have enjoyed a comfortable life there, which will be followed up by a nice tax-payer funded pension. I was back in Canberra largely out of work in the 1999/2000 downturn, and used to catch up with ex uni colleagues for beers on a Friday evening. One of their main topics of conversation was how the wage negotiations were going with the Government! That with a lot of geos out of work.
To get to the point, decisions on our lives are made by people who have, and will have a comfortable life – they live off taxes from the private sector, and have no sense of reality.
Just as a diversion regarding reality – read this from the Canberra Times>>
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/act-government-phases-out-fundraising-chocolates-among-workforce-20161213-gtagg5.html
The executive and bureaucracy is largely comprised of people who couldn’t get a job doing something productive in the real world, and their main aim in life is look after themselves and stuff the rest of us.
I noted that piece of idiocy Trabvitch. That’s the sort of drivel that comes out of a government that doesn’t have enough serious stuff to do and isn’t big enough to matter in the grand scheme of things. Saving the world by banning plastic bags at supermarkets. I could go on about the ACT ‘government’ for quite some time, so don’t start me….
Back to Canberra tomorrow for the weekend – I think the PC left mob their have also basically banned Christmas, but they enjoy the holiday! A bit like certain schools in QLD!
Richard Craniums running the show, particularly in the lower forms of government where the people involved don’t even have the limited ability required to get into Federal politics.
I despair for Australia.
The problem with governments are individually the politicians are reasonably smart people but as soon as they gather in a group their collective IQ drops to around zero.
Fundraising selling raw celery just isn’t as enticing, is it?
Most likely not an issue for the regulars but the youngsters will probably have the retirement age put out to 85. That’s ok though as they should be getting close to paying off their hecs fees and mortgage by then. Not sure where the jobs are coming from – best leave that to the greens.
adults…..
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-14/morrison-debt-remarks-inane-stupid/8121086
“I want to give people this absolute assurance – no cuts to education, no cuts to health, no changes to PENSIONS, and no changes to the GST,” Abbott said this, September 1, 2013
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Er, now you know why I call them The Looters. No hitting the more than a third of large public and private companies (500) that paid no tax in 2014-15, with 36 per cent of the larger firms reporting zero tax payable on a turnover of billions. Those that DID pay tax were able to get accountants to manage their money so that they paid well below the legislated corporate rate. If you take in the raising of the age pension, all up, pensions have been hit three times in the short time the Looters have been in.
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With a one seat majority this mob could be committing electoral sewerage pipe in 2019. Wonder what bright spark thought this up.
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“We won’t do any deals with the Greens or minor parties”. Just lurvvved dat one Bald.
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Beats me how anybody on wages or a pension could vote for these bastards. Better bring Abbott back. At least he was up front and brazen about his lying. The last pension cut, quietly sneaked in, cost me $35 a week and a mate in Lismore $105 a week. I wonder if Jack’s parents are copping this? Would not surprise me.
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The top taxpayers? Look how much they paid:-
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Comm. Bank-$3,107,074,610 out of $44,216,128,308
Westpac-$2,853,558,937 out of $36,838,104,467
Rio Tinto-$2,733,767,906 out of $31,191,603,974
NAB-$2,688,097,025 out of $46,064,575,264
ANZ-$2,072,457,658 out of $30,003,815,057
BHP-$1,718,329,663 out of $33,044,169,721
TELSTRA-$1,712,473,178 out of $25,659,795,396
SHELL-$1,028,943,536 out of $18,449,928,728
WESFARMERS-$958,824,629 out of $68,564,214,822
WOOLIES-$49,481,153,978 out of $898,750,445
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The Liberals would rather hit pensioners, the poor, the sick, those trying to get an education and the unemployed than hit their core voting constituency or even think about slicing that sacred cow “Defence Spending” where $200billion is ear-marked for war toys..
I’m with you on this Bassie. For the first time in my life I will not be voting Liberal – not sure if I will vote at all. Cannot go One Nation and reluctant ALP. But will wait to hear what they say
Come on Bassman – you have shown in the few cases I have followed up revenue vs tax paid, which is misleading, and you seem to hae no idea of how business operates. There are costs to be offset from these earnings, which differ as a percentage according to the industry. These include cost of goods sold, as well as D & A on capital costs.
In the case of Wesfarmers, their revenue was $65 billion, but earnings before interest and tax was $3.6 billion – knock interest off that (a valid deduction) and the tax figure of ~$1 billion is reasonable. Being largely a retail company, an EBIT margin of 5.5% is reasonable.
And Yvonne – you have swallowed Bassy’s disingenuous line hook line and sinker.
“There are costs to be offset from these earnings”…YOU SAY…exactly my point.
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The companies that turnover billions have access to accountants and fiscal wizards that the ordinary taxpayer does not have and could never afford. It is NOT a level playing field.
gotcha
Yep, and in the meantime superannuation is being rorted like crazy by very wealthy people who are treating it as a form of government subsidy on investments.
The system is so frayed its falling apart.
Yes. The wealthy superannuants kicked up a hell of a fuss and frightened Turnbull. Not do the more modest retirees. And so the gap btw the wealthy and the more moderate widens.
I see, as per my earlier comments re Shorten’s big opportunity here, he has the ACTU on a scare campaign already. Didn’t waste any tim e once he saw the mood of the people. He will win government if he gets onto this. Dirty tactics – but Turnbull knows he will use them when effective.
I dont think the ACTU takes directions from Shorten, Yvonne.
Yep the other way round isn’t it
If that is the case Yvonne the coalition take their direction from the big foreign owned resources companies, the banks the real estate developers etc etc. See how that works?
If either side takes directions from the other, then probably..
Tracy – don’t forget to put your tips in and remind others to do the same.
No problem for me. I love my job, have enough work for a dozen lifetimes and will never be retiring. DTS!
Mate, when I’m snapping at your ankles you may well consider vocational re-evaluation; indeed retirement!
budget repair says scummo…yeah orright then….pfffftt but can’t touch this
http://www.tai.org.au/sites/defualt/files/Top%20Gears%20-%20How%20Negative%20Gearing%20and%20CGT%20benefits%20top%2010%20per%20cent.pdf
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-10/explainer-negative-gearing/7402442