Again, it was a Productivity Promotion Council report, see here,

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-22/productivity-commission-recommends-raising-pension-age-to-70/5109630

It is to be expected, demanded even, in a democracy that the government presents the report to parliament and to the public. That is the beginning not the end of consultation and even if government were to 'fly a kite' as some suggest, it is a kite in full view and up for discussion. Not taking sides but such public transparency and open consultation were never features of the previous Labor/Greens government, where deals were done behind closed doors.

There is scare mongering going on. It is normal and reasonable in a democracy to publish reports and consult, and it is only those with a (political) secondary agenda who would suggest otherwise.

Why is it for instance that the aged themselves have become the target of some quite nasty sledging in the media and it is yet again descending into inter-generational jealousy? Or that the several other quite ground-breaking tax 'initiatives', such as requiring the elderly to sell or reverse mortgage their own family home of a lifetime are not being surfaced for discussion? All of the cards on the table please and those of the previous Labor/Greens government as well, because those 'initiatives' have not just gone away, but are secreted in bottom drawers to emerge again.

What is also missing from the political debate and quite deliberately so on all sides, is any frank, detailed comparison with other welfare and social programs.

REhctub, I am just about at a loss to know what to do about pensions.
Ultimately the pension must decline as we DON'T HAVE THE MONEY !

As the cost of energy increases relative to our production of all goods
there will be less surplus to support those unable to work.
It will become necessary for the pension to be paid only to those
unable to work. If they cannot work at their previous trade because of
its nature then they must find other employment.

I don't see any alternative.
What worries me is the above is based on our existing economic state.
The politicians are unable to face up to the reports that have been
put into their hands by various government bodies and outside bodies
like CSIRO, NRMA and ASPO, on the very great risk to our liquid fuel supplies.
Everyone, or nearly everyone poo poos that when I say it, but they
like the politicians just cannot bring themselves to see the risk.

All it needs is someone to put a rocket into the Singapore refineries
or into major refineries elsewhere and three weeks later we will be
left with 10% or possibly no liquid fuels.
It could be any number of other causes such as Israel and Iran war
or other tension closing the Strait of Hormuz or a technical fault that causes an explosion.

In a week the last oil tanker would arrive at an Australian port and
the storage terminals have a week or two, the service stations would
empty very quickly once the public realised what was happening and
would cut our car use back to an absolute minimum.
Just as happened in the UK the supermarkets would not be restocked
and the women would be fighting inthe aisles for the last tins.

Don't believe that other countries will sacrifice some of their fuel
to help us out.
This risk is very real and yet the governments have not undertaken
their commitment to the OECD to install three months storage.

Hockey and Abbott have resided over 70 billion of debt since coming to power. Unless they turn that around with this budget they will prove their use worthless. Buying planes worth billions, with old money of course, is not a good look and will further degrade Abbott.
With all the foot in mouth statements from Abbott to get elected the people of AU were conned. All promises are off, all have been revealed as lies. Abbott followers will do and say anything to defend their chosen heir. The reaction to pensioners was just an exercise to gage support for such impacts. Political suicide lies in the budget, but they must be very tough to save any any shred of face they have left.

So 579, am I rightin assuming you wold have preferred more of what we had for the previous six years. More waste, more workplace welfare, more missmanaged policies, mismanagement that resulted in us going from + $20 billion to -$600 odd billion.

Now I'm not having a shot at you, as I'm quoious as to whether that's what you are implying.

Now if you are suggesting that by RSI staing labor, we wouldn't have gone down that road, just how were they intending to change. They support the carbon tax, they also support the massive handouts to the car industry.

So just how would labor have turned their ship around?

Baz, another major contributor has been the growth in welfare recipient sectors, from single mothers to dads deciding staying home is only marginally less attractive than going to work. Marinally being the optiman word.

Finally, just on the pension, anyone in my age bracket, the wrong side of 50 need not worry as we won't be effected, although I realized twenty five years ago that I wouldn't get any of my taxes back.

Anyone on the good side of fifty has had super since 1990. Now if they have handed that to the profit makers, and lost it, that's their doing and thier problem.

But the reality is, if life expectance increases, so too must the retirement (on support) increase, otherwise you're burning the candel from both ends.

Butch has now resorted to the past. The year is 2014 and we have had a noalition govt; for 7+ months, and to what advantage. All they have done is back-peddle and tell lies, when are they going to do something. Before the election they had everything under control, as we were told.
It is no good assuming what labor would have done, they are not the Govt; The carbon tax as i told you will not bring down electricity prices. The miners are said to have paid nothing so what is the problem or is someone telling lies.
If there is any decrease from power at all it will come from the distributers, which is a carbon free zone. The generators are looking at ways of taking electricity away from the market, to a set price for wholesale power. Which means they are needing more money.
All of a sudden we have a problem with aging people, It's in Hockey's hands, lets see how good he is. The noalition is in control of the books, so lets not see any forward projections just get on with balancing the books. If they are good enough.
They have their big chance to make a nome for themselves, if they are good enough.

dear tubbers..see..PLEASE..we are all..in the same boat
globally..the other cuntries are boke..dead broken/many times WORSE THAN WE

NOW MATE..YOUR CLEVER...please think..if all your mates..are dead beats..?[who is paying the bills]..we are

/think about it

the world govts are broken..they have created odious debt
joes best bet..is to chase those who created this unlawful/CRIMINAL/TREASONOUS..ODIOUS* debt

usa..for example has declared debts..of trillions
but undeclared debt obligations worth two quadrillion

between dead beat education loan scams..to the dead beat fanny may
the list is endless/but the debt grows BIGGER EVERY DAY..IT CAN NEVER EVER..GET PAID OFF

THink
once every bit of stuff..[VALUE].has been sold off[to the sAME/SELF..SERVING/UNDESERVING-moneyed elite..WORLDS/govts bailed out?

anyhow ol mate..at the case in law..its odious debt/
begotten by ongoing acts of treason..ya cant..stop nuthing till ya stop all..these..INTEREST ACCRUING/bleeding cuts

the leeches...must be cut off..like with iceland
bailing out these criminals..by taxING US EVEN MORE..THATS NO CURE

<<>.So just how would labor/have turned their ship around?>>

THE SAME WAY I TOLD RUDD..GROW THE DAMM Debt
cause no one else is going to ever repay an signle penny of it
cause its criminal debt/joe hasnt grasped that yet.but his mates will have..STILL..HE ISSUES/us..ever/deeper..into it

<<. major contributor has been the growth in welfare recipient sectors, from single mothers to dads deciding staying home>>

see how you play at treason..tubbers?
govt exists only to help out the poor and regulate fair trade/and the tools on commerce[ie money supply]
not bailout bankers insurers underwriters too dumb to see the ship is sinking..the rotted privatized corps is stinking/what were yous masters thinking?

<<>.is only marginally less attractive than going to work.>>

mate..any day now..the bankers will do whats called bailin
essentially they will take away your hard earned cash[without even paying govt a transaction fee]..and you will be given shares..in a mortgaged building..empty vault but for a photocopy money printing machine

better you accumulate asset and the future never to be repaid debt

but joe freaking hoc*
ley works for the bankers

ditto that new nsw premier..ditto in ukrane..ditto italy/greece..seeing a pattern>,,GOVT/BANKERS..SCREWING US AGAIN.
http://rss.infowars.com/20140423_Wed_Alex.mp3 .