diver dan, I to have long held the belief that one's pension should be calculated by the amount one has contributed to the public purse.

Trouble is, thanks to our 'tall poppy' attitudes, our system is the exact opposite.

It is little wonder there is so much resentment by self funded retirees, who, after spilling their guts for years get left on the scrap heap while the assistance goes to those regarded as 'the needy', even if they have pissed their life and savings away.

Why else do you think the wealthy find ways to minimise or avoid taxes, given the treatment that their predecessors (today's SF retirees) were given. It's not as if you get rewarded for your efforts, is it!

This is why so many today enjoy the spoils of their efforts 'here and now' with flash cars, boats, apartments, holidays etc, because they know there is little point in paying the extra taxes, so why not enjoy the here and now.

ok so howard gets the credit
it was still an indexed wage increase we didnt get

its still artificially inflating the value of the stockmarket price[too much money to those who only shuffle money around]

im a self funded retiree
i diversified mt super..invested in paintings and valuble metals antiques and pottery..old watches and stamps and coins

the problem being super all just goes into the stock market
it dosnt actually own real things..[only shares]

and as we know dividend in shares is allways well below par
[to keep the value adding going]..

thus increased values and bonus to managment..
but in the end not even close to the value [devalu.. of inflation

thats where im bering shafted..in self funding
butchers may keep increasing the prices of their meat
electicity can double..tobacco can punitivly go through the roof

and those getting a nice grab at supper keep eating 5 star
by the time it comes to collect the stockmarket will have tanked
the 'securities will all be found to be worthless paper
and the bonds found to be halved

look ...it was our wage increases
you would have *had to pay TO us

instead you pay them
even chose who them is

poor blooming you
without your workers what would you do

its the workers who got shafted in the end
they lost their dollar in the time a dollar could buy a dollar's worth

by the time they get their 'dollar' back
it will only buy cents on the dollar
[and that is a fact]

I only started Super when it was introduced in Qld by the Goss Labor Government. That was a very good move by them. It was, sadly, their only good move also.
Pension should be for everyone on a wage. Public servants should have to contribute far more to their Super & it should be more affordable in general to contribute to super.
Our politicians most certainly do not qualify for more benefits & pay. There is enough out there for everyone but the public servants & other non-contributors drain off most of the funds.

rehctub:>> Now let me think of something else that has had a 300% increase in 20 years. No, sorry, can't think of one at this point.<<

Rehctub, this is not a comment on the super contribution, but housing prices have risen by 1000% in 20 years and the flow on costs in rents have risen accordingly.

OUG; There is no point saying that super goes into the stock exchange.
When you join a fund, or even during your membership of a fund you can
stipulate what sort of investment you want for your funds.
The whole range is available from cash interest bearing to the riskiest.

"It is little wonder there is so much resentment by self funded retirees, who, after spilling their guts for years get left on the scrap heap while the assistance goes to those regarded as 'the needy', even if they have pissed their life and savings away."

Let me get this right rehctub. First you argue vehemently for a reduction in the minimum wage so all the small business owners can make more money, then with the same mentality begrudge those lower income earners assistance when they retire.

You really take the cake sometimes. Most low income earners do not have vast savings to p*ss away and your assumption that low income earners are all vagabonds and layabouts is not only grossly wrong but an unfair assumption. Imagine what all the business owners would do if everybody decided they were not going to undertake low pay jobs - who would do them? Many low income earners are also ethnic and do not have fluent English which makes work outside those low paid jobs impossible. But why let facts get in the way of a good story.

There would be more sympathy for some of your views if your anger was not directed to the poor but at governments for poor policy.

In fact I agree with your post as regards superannuation. Adding another impost to small business is bad policy. The fact is costs will go up anyway and further impost low income earners.