Under the present economic circumstances, we pensioners need to stand in the queue behind the carers and the disabled. They are the ones who are really in need of more largesse from the government.

Cornflower, I suggest that you go back and read what Billie had to say.

David

I believe all Pensioners should receive the $30 pay rise and then from hereonin they should receive the CPI. Everyone should stop whinging about paying pensions, these people have paid taxes all through their working lives. In most cases their taxes have gone to supplement and give tax breaks to people on very large suprannuation schemes. Pensioners are Taxpayers too, a part of their pension goes back to the Government via GST

Thank you everybody, Mareel i never thought of that, the GST factor very astute of you and how cunning would our elected representatives be, all pensioners are still paying tax even those on the flat rate, not to mention those receiving over a particular sum paying tax.
Thank you for that, and thank you John Howard and the judas Meg Lees because of her we got the GST in the first place, anyway it cost her in the end.

I blame the whole show on the sort of scrotes employed in middle management.
Doesn't matter what Gov-decisions are made - there is a sort managing supermarkets, superannuation scams and retirement villages who once played football - or some other noxious, essentially damaging, activity.
Their employers trust them to make 'workaday decisions' - of which they have repeatedly failed.
Naturally, their decisions were ad-hoc, totally uninformed and inevitably caused everyone grief.
Good God. Ever looked for Herrings in a decent sauce at your food outlet these days?
It will all just keep on going until someone works out how to put a stop to abject stupidity in our society and some effective way of making those who deserve to be unemployed to REMAIN unemployed.

That idiot 'bullshine, 'Turnblaster" whatsisname - leader, he hopes, of opposition, might take time out to do what he was doing years ago.
Didn't he want a republic then?
Why not keep on track?
For God's sake his name should be Turncoat - Not Turnbull - surely?
How in hell might we progress wnen stupidity keeps sway?
How in hell might the disadvantaged support government policy if every cent passed on to them is absorbed by the corporate vacuum-cleaner of abject greed?
This next budget, hopefully, might give the disadvantaged the first break since howard became the last Fuhrer.
Please hope that Rudd proves to be a Nation builder - not just another timeserving loser.

EXEMPT PENSIONERS FROM THE GST

If the government wants to give pensioners and carers a rise why doesn't it exempt them from the GST. The subsistence amount they receive to live on in reality is probably half that amount again if you factor in the GST.

Actually Sharkfin, the GST is only 10 percent so that would only give an increase of under 30 dollars a week.

David