August 12, 2008
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has repeated calls for an urgent increase in pensions and more support for carers, following yesterday’s release of the Government’s Pension Review Background Paper.
Mr Chester said the Review supported previous findings that “people on the pension are finding it more and more difficult to make ends meet with rising cost of food, fuel, health and housing.”
He said the current single aged pension was not enough to provide older Gippslanders with a decent standard of living and called for an immediate increase of at least $30 per week.
“We don’t need another review and we don’t need further studies to tell us the current pensions and carer support payments are inadequate,” Mr Chester said.
“As a wealthy nation, we can afford to do better.
“With increased costs of living, the current aged pension – and particularly the single aged pension – does not allow for older Gippslanders to eat healthily, pay bills, cover their medical expenses and to get around to visit friends and attend social activities.
“These are the people who built our great nation and allow us to enjoy the privileges we have today.
“Most pensioners did not have the opportunity of compulsory superannuation to prepare themselves for retirement.”
Mr Chester said raising the level of support for pensioners and carers was one of his top priorities in Canberra and would feature in his maiden speech in Parliament in two weeks time.
“Increasing the rate of pensions was a critical issue in the Gippsland by-election and part of the reason there was such a significant swing against the Rudd Labor Government,” Mr Chester said.
“The Rudd Labor Government has not listened to pensioners and has not taken action to improve their standards of living.”
Written submissions can be lodged in response to the Government’s Pension Review Background Paper no later than September 26, 2008. The final report is due in February next year.
Mr Chester said the delay was too long for pensioners who were living day to day and struggling to make ends meet.