Politicians out of touch on age pension issue
Recently the Senate crossbencher David Leyonhjelm stated he wants Australians to drop their sense of entitlement to the age pensions.
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In response, senator, what I want is that when all former members of parliament get out of politics they have to wait until the official retiring age to get their taxpayer-funded superannuation and that is all they get when no longer a politician.
Let's stop all the free travel and other perks that you get. Let's stop former prime ministers getting a fully staffed office, Commonwealth car at their disposal and all the other perks they get.
When a former politician only gets their superannuation at the official retirement age and nothing else when leaving politics, then and only then will I believe politicians are fair dinkum in any statement they make.
Just look at the former failed Liberal Party treasurer Mr Hockey, who gets a cushy job in America as ambassador for Australia earning a reported $350,00 a year – plus a reported $150,000 a year superannuation – and still bill the Australian taxpayer for babysitters so he can go and party on.
This is the man that said the age of entitlement was over and we all had to carry the burden.
Need I say more.
Ian Bates, Bendigo
How much does it cost?
I note the recent letters regarding the history of athletics tracks in Bendigo.
While this history will be of interest to a few, of far more interest to all ratepayers will be all the financial implications of council’s December decision to acquire the track from La Trobe University.
There have been figures quoted covering the refurbishment of the running track, new fencing and expanded parking etc, totalling around $1.5 million, but nowhere has the actual purchase price of the track been disclosed.
For ratepayers to fully understand the “wisdom” of council’s decision to purchase the facility, the following information is required:
- Council’s budgeted 2016/2017 contribution to the track maintenance
- Detailed expected capital expenditure of all elements required to bring the facility up to standard, and to separate the track from the university property
- The purchase price of the facility from the university.
- The expected annual maintenance costs of the upgraded faculty (as I assume this will now be totally funded by ratepayers).
Only when ratepayers are provided with all of the above costs, will they be able to form a view about the appropriateness of the purchase decision, in the light of the new government dictate of capping rate rises of no more than CPI.
I look forward to council’s full and frank disclosure of the above information.
David Heywood, Bendigo
Stamp out radical ideas
People obsessed with radical ideologies can cause a great amount of destruction and loss of lives.
Growing up in the war-torn Europe, I was trying to find a better way to go.
In 1947 I made a discovery, which I was hoping will reduce the divisions and hostilities between people.
But today, 70 years later on, my work still hasn't been recognised and fighting keeps going on.
Public dignitaries have firmly formed views and don't like to change their minds.
Ordinary people are carrying on with their daily tasks and leaving the decision-making to their leaders.
To prevent radical movements from getting out of control, we have to expose and stop them in the early stage.
Jiri Kolenaty, Rushworth
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