[Greens-Media] Howard snubs aged pensioners - Greens

[Bennett, Ebony (Sen B. Brown)]

Wednesday, 19 September 2007

Howard snubs aged pensioners - Greens

The Howard government is focused on giving the aged pension to more
wealthy retirees when it should be focused on raising the income of
those currently struggling on the aged pension, Greens Leader Bob Brown
said today.

"The latest changes to the aged pension show how out of touch the Howard
government has become. It could have spent $1 billion increasing the
meagre aged pension by $20 per week, but instead it has decided to spend
$1 billion giving the aged pension to wealthy retirees," Senator Brown
said.

The Government has recently announced changes to the assets test for the
aged pension that will allow a couple with a house and $800,000 in
assets to claim a part pension. If an individual receives only $1 in
aged pension he or she automatically receives a range of other
concessions. The cost of the loosening of the assets test is estimated
to be $1 billion per year.

"The Greens have been calling for an increase in the aged pension of $60
per fortnight. The Government and the ALP keep saying it is
unaffordable. At the same time the Government is spending $1 billion per
year to loosen the asset test so that someone with $800,000 in the bank
will now be able to receive a part pension," Senator Brown said.

The Greens would fund the $60 a fortnight increase in the aged pension
by scrapping the tax cuts for those people earning over $75,000 a year
which were announced in the federal budget.

"Pensioners are struggling to make ends meet. A single aged pensioner
now receives $268.85 per week. The government's priority should be
increasing the aged pension by $60 a fortnight, rather than extending
the pension to wealthy retirees," Senator Brown said.

Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603



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Ebony Bennett
Media Adviser
Office of Greens Senator Bob Brown
Mobile: 0409 164 603
Ph: (02) 6277 3170
Fax: (02) 6277 3185	

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www.myspace.com/bobbrowngreens