Retirees in cross-hairs
A civilisation may be judged on the extent to which it looks after its most vulnerable citizens. Properly considered and funded welfare initiatives are the hallmark of a just society. A policy that seeks to redistribute wealth by targeting retirees with self-managed super funds, however, is an ill-conceived and unjust funding arrangement. Sadly, this is the prospect being faced by self-funded retirees under Labor’s “fair go” election platform.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
In 2007, Labor took a platform of growth and opportunity to the election – a platform which promoted and incentivised investment and good old-fashioned hard work. It was a platform which subsequently enabled greater support of vulnerable sectors of our community.
Notwithstanding the success of the equitable centrist approach adopted in 2007, Labor has bowed to its vocal and increasingly irrelevant Left faction by advancing a platform of inequality and redistribution.
The Chardonnay Socialists of Labor’s inner-city Left, have rallied around a catchcry of “inequality”. This mantra has an unfortunately inequitable outcome for self-funded retirees in our Gilmore electorate in the form of Labor’s policy of eliminating cash refunds for excess franking credits, ie, the refund to shareholders of the tax already paid by companies on profits.
Gilmore has a not inconsiderable retiree population, many of whom are self-funded – a status resulting from years of hard work and personal sacrifice.
To arbitrarily penalise these people who have contributed to society all their working lives is immoral. Considering the extent to which our retirees have helped grow our economy and sustain our welfare system, such attack defies logic.
Few of our retirees can be considered high-income earners with the majority living on a tight budget – a budget that relies to varying extents on the refund of franking credits.
I wouldn’t hold my breath that Labor’s endorsed candidate for the seat of Gilmore will advocate on behalf of our retirees. She has nailed her flag-of-convenience firmly to the mast of the foundering ship of the Socialist Left – she is beholden to the Left for her preselection and is expected to vote en masse with her latté-sipping political masters, oblivious to the realities of life outside the Sydney CBD or the Canberra bubble.
G. Kolomeitz, Gerroa
Farmers face hurdles
What is it about our farmers that appears to make them fair game. The issue of them accessing drought aid and the over zealous bureaucrats demanding stringent compliance to eligibility rules is a fair dinkum headache.
So quick are the regulators in applying their demands from the farmers leaves a sour taste in many a mouth when we see these other anomalies .
The Banking Royal Commission has clearly identified the failure and the reluctance of a number of Regulators in ensuring even a hint of compliance. The politicians accessing parliamentary entitlements again is often in the headlines with claims of abuse but where were the regulators demanding compliance.
The next usual suspects are the energy providers, electricity and fuel in particular who go about making outrageous profits with a very ineffective regulator overseeing their corporate conduct.
Many a farmer at present are on their knees trying to survive the drought and when asking for assistance the regulators flex their bureaucratic muscles and hinder whenever possible.
No such display of enthusiasm when the big end of town is needed to be called to account, it would appear to be a bit too hard that one.
So to the farmers you appear friendless when it comes to the bureaucrats streamlining their procedures and that is the crux of the matter in a nutshell.
B. Cumberland, North Nowra
