Sydney 29 July 2010: Prime
Minister Julia Gillard might have questioned a tiny rise for pensioners but she
will walk away from Parliament with a pension of more than $2000 a week.
If she wins the election and serves at least a year in the nation's top
job, her weekly pension would be even higher.
She would get a gold air pass permitting 40 business class flights a
year, a car, staff and an office.
Angry pensioners forced to exist on a maximum single aged weekly rate of
$350.55 yesterday asked Ms Gillard to spend a day in their slippers as they
battle rising rates, electricity and grocery bills.
Pensioner groups were also alarmed, fearing they would have to start
their struggle again after last year convincing former prime minister Kevin
Rudd and Treasurer Wayne Swan they could not survive on the pension.
"Rudd got asked, Swan got asked, could you live on $273 a week,
which was the amount of the pension at the time," Michael O'Neill, CEO of
advocacy group National Seniors Australia, said.
"They couldn't. I hope we don't have to remind them that pensioners
have meagre existences."
Antione Mangion from the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants
Association said of pensioners: "Certainly they shouldn't be
underestimated as a group. We'd still like to see more being done, we haven't
heard anything in this election campaign. It has been very disappointing for
people on the pension."
The Prime Minister yesterday denied telling cabinet colleagues "old
people never vote for us" but her admission that she questioned the
pension rise drew criticism from struggling seniors, including from other
Gillards.
Beryl Gillard, 83, from Pretty Beach on the Central Coast gets a part
aged pension of $250 a week and a small "stipend" from her late
husband's superannuation. She was angry the PM was against increasing the aged
pension by $30. The Daily Telegraph
