" Five years ago petrol was 80c a litre. Today it’s at least three times that figure."

I don't know what you're paying on the Gold Coast but those figures certainly don't match my observations of fuel prices.

Why no mention of the lack of action by a certain Liberal government for 12 years - which avoided any proper assessment of the pension issue and sought only to bandaid the problems pensioners confront by tossing 'bonuses' to them each year.

There are also pensioners that have a mortgage on their home and repayments have increased at an alarming rate.Even on a modest loan of say $100.000 it leaves little to the imagination what is left to live on.

Alison claims that "there is substantial alarm in Australia right now about a crisis among our pensioners". As a pensioner with pensioner neighbours, I wasn't aware of this. Given the long-term mechanisms for pension payments and the additional vote-buying supplements of recent years, I don't understand how this alleged crisis could suddenly be upon us, to the extent that only drastic and immediate measures will resolve it. Governments have an excessive tendency for off-the-cuff knee-jerk reactions to alleged crises, I commend this one for proceeding in a calm and measured manner rather than being panicked into reaction by people like Ms Hiscocks.

I would be very surprised if any age pensioner on current pensions levels were experiencing anything remotely resembling the poverty of my childhood.

Faustino
I dont know where you live but interest has gone up a"bit" and the Liberals did not much but Labor will be a big help in 2020?

"cruel and insensitive", "out of touch", "exploitation." Emotive words Alison, but ones highly unlikely to move the incumbent political leaders or 'people's representatives' in Canberra.

Reason? ... they are completely INDIFFERENT to the ever-worsening plight of these and several million other marginalised Australians including, most notably, some 2.6 million unpaid family care-givers (Carers), over 700,000 of whom provide 24/7 special care and accommodation, year round, in their homes for family members under 65 suffering severe and profound (dependent) disability. Additionally, a large and growing number of un- and under-employed Australians are being forced to subsist on even LESS than the current single Aged Pension. Actual numbers are difficult to secure, as our senior Common-wealth public servants rig the figures by declaring any who do paid work for an hour or more per week to be 'employed'

Together with the members of her Royal Majesty's loyal 'opposition', senior policy-deciding apparatchiks from both dominant political parties, and battalions of well-rewarded 'executive' Public Managers, these various individuals constitute a socio-economic Class, whose financial and political interests are antithetical to those of the great majority of Working- and Lower-Middle Class Australians.

Acting collectively .. in "Australia's interests" of course, each and every year these same individuals authorise the transfer of untold billions of public dollars to wealthy 'investors', 'developers' and obscenely over-paid corporate executives in Tax Breaks, Industry Assistance Grants, and other various forms of Corporate Welfare. This is because it is in their Class Interests to do so, with many going on to the Boards of large private (profit-driven) corporations upon leaving government office.

Unlike the members of the working class who have been forced to 'retire' on meagre pensions, huge foreign 'defence' contractors and manufacturers of weapons-of-mass-destruction are doing particularly well at present.

How much extra was spent on pensioners in the last budget? Oh thats right $7.4 billion.

How much are the opposition proposing to spend? $1.4 billion.

How about some perspective?

Yes I do live on a single pension. :)

Alison seems genuine but she could have replaced (or inserted) as below:

IT was a craven example of how to manipulate the news media for positive ratings and TO POSE as sympathising while delivering nothing.

The public taunting of VETERANS for political purposes is a long-standing, disgraceful,reason why THE PUBLIC should speak up.
Rudd IS in control of the Treasury. He has the power to increase COMPENSATION AND MILITARY SUPERANNUATION.

He chooses not to.

Waiting another five months is “rational and reasonable”? MILITARY SUPERANNUANTS HAVE WAITED SINCE 1972.

Mr Rudd explain this COMPENSATION AND SUPERANNUATION pension delaying tactic to them. NO POLITICAN HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO SO. EVER.

HE KNOWS THAT IS ALL THAT VETERANS GET.

Politicians have power to make change. Taunting VETERANS IN THIS FASHION IS CRUEL AND INSENSITIVE.

In the meantime VETERANS ARE supposed to exist on fresh air and scenery. It’s heartless. IT's exploitation.

The CPI increase lifts the single pension by around $15 a fortnight to around $560, or around $280 a week. VETERANS GET THE CPI. PENSIONER'S GET MORE.

The government could make an immediate increase in MILITARY COMPENSATION AND SUPERANNUATION. Instead we have political gibberish.

The Prime Minister and ministers blather about doing nothing until A review as a “rationale and reasonable” approach. They might not think that way if the MILITARY COMPENSATION OR SUPERANNUATION was their sole income.

While the Government increased utilities allowance to $125 a quarter and given retirees a $500 one-off payment as well as the modest CPI, VETERANS GET CPI ONLY. PENSIONER'S GET MORE. increase in their pension, thIS IS soaked up by bills and the rising cost of living.

Emotions were further heightened in late September when the Rudd Government blocked a Coalition attempt to raise some pensions by $30 a week.

This just makes it worse.

This is a human issue, not something to play vote-catching politics with. Lawyers AND THE PUBLIC need to be speaking out in support of our VETERAN retirees. THERE WOULD BE NO AUSTRALIA WITHOUT THEM.

VETERANS ARE CREATED BY POLITICIANS AND GOVERNMENTS. They deserve better in their final years.

Faustino

Jolly good that you are doing so well but others might not be. I am not a pensioner however I am wondering how many pensioners who own their own homes (and therefore save government from paying rent relief) have been handling the escalating costs of maintenance, rates and insurance. I have properties on the Gold Coast and I can tell you that the costs of keeping and maintaining a property have increased exponentially since around Expo and that was a long time ago.

The Gold Coast City Council for example, is presently increasing rates by 8%. How will pensioners and others on fixed incomes handle that? It is not as though the pensioner can tell the GCCC to be patient and wait for a review.

The entire premise of the article is that the aged pension is designed to provide enough money for any pensioner, regardless of their circumstances, to live a comfortable retirement. No need to save any money during your working life, the government will provide as much as you need when you retire. We aren't paying enough taxes for that. If we want the pension system to provide $600/week to all retirees, then we need to vote to increase taxes, or vote to throw out some other services. There is no money tree.

I heartily agree with previous comments showing the hypocrisy of 11 years of Liberal governments doing nothing to increase pensions and then screaming that there is a crisis. Nonsense.

Alison Hiscocks rails against politicians for using rhetoric to win votes, but the way she concludes that "Lawyers need to be speaking out in support of our retirees," sounds a lot like she is just spruiking for work among her retiree clients. It sounds like she is trying to show them that she is really on their side and worthy of some more fees, for more legal work.

aro, I live in Brisbane; Cornflower, I have never had an extravagant lifestyle whatever my income, and subsisted for much of my 30s while travelling/doing unpaid voluntary work; perhaps others expect more, so perceive a lack where I perceive a sufficiency? My neighbours also live modestly but happily.

Why not take yr votes away from the red and the blue and the dastardly purple hat and turn to those who may actually care?

Why not to those who also care deeply for the flora and fauna as do you not know, if they care also for these things, they will also care for U?

They are ridiculed, dismissed and denied the RIGHT of REPLY but u know, even though they may not be the sharpest tools in the shed at present, their heart seems to be in the right place and they will grow upon this foundation.

For they know, by taking care of the pennies
AND
some of U are the pennies,
the dollars will well be able to look after themselves.

By now yr gardens should be rich with high anti-oxidant, anti cancer fruit and veg, growing upon the richness of yr recycled waste, built upon a foundation of green tech the likes of which would enable u all to be selling back energy to the grid for the greater benefit of industry at large, not paying for profiteers.

A potent force as a mass group u potentially are, with time on yr hands to rally and lobby. Let not dastardly fragment and scatter u in the social degradation of the weary and the weak.

Social Security is by definition beneficial legislation and if it is no longer that, which has always been an Australian Citizen's Right, then give due consideration to ignoring that which would push u under the poverty line. Speak openly and plainly, have the courage of your convictions and move as a group, independent and interdependent.

RING the DIVISION BELL
*Pink Floyd*
and I quote:

" For millions of years, HumanKind lived just like the animals, then something happened to unleash the power of our imagination. We learnt to talk. It doesn't have to be like this. All we need to do, is make sure, we keep on talking. "

..Steve Hawking..