Althought the payment of $1,400.00 for Xmas will probably save me from losing my home, I am disgusted that pensioners were NOT recognized in Kevin 747's first budget. I sincerely hope that ALL pensioners will join forces to force this peanut out at the next election.



And I hear people talk about him LISTENING!

It took a global financial meltdown to get him to part out with a measly $30.00 a wk.

Whilst some get hot under the collar because they live alone and marrieds live together - what about the Seniors then - I heard on sunday that they are getting a bonus too and usually this means that the marrieds do get Double as they get paid as an individual on their Senior Concession card and singles cut off rate to qualify is $50,000 a year whilst married couple is $80,000 - they get our measly concessions to on phone, medicines etc as they are really really in need of these - sarcasm :) have a look at your Age Pension News at the back and see how much extra they get on Seniors concession $125 each whereas married age pensioner gets $62.50 each.

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Obviously pork barreling for votes. But SFR snivel a lot but one thing is Howard justified it by saying [b] they do not draw down on the Age pension[/b].

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which kind of gives substance to the claim that we have all paid for our pensions but are being done down by the extra others who are claiming welfare these days and even well off people take it as a right.

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Well Rudd has only been in for a short while and I for one think he is doing more and listening more--than Howard ever did--

It is wonderful Mr. Rudd has spent some of the money to help those who need it so much instead of the Libs. having the billions in the bank looking good.

After all the Libs. sold nearly everything the tax payer owned to get the money - Labour better remember they are on their own now "all the furniture has been sold" lol

There are not many Australian owned business here now are there? Most are owned by Americans. Here in Victoria trains are owned by Conex? Power Companies (old SEC) are owned O'Seas? and Ford of course is American owned but cannot blame them for putting our workers off as they have their own probs.

Mr. Rudd has inherited a bit of a mess I suppose, I would not like his job but he is listening and that is all we can hope for, and Pensioners are a lot better off this year and we are not Islands expecting everything for ourselves and embrace others receiving a bit of help also and please Mr. Rudd give people on pensioners a decent rise next year so everyone can live a decent life and stop and BE HAPPY lol

Today is going to be wonderful and once it has gone we have to say godbye so have a terrific day folks.

Phyl.

Yes as hard as you try to buy Auzzie things almost impossible--everything has gone off shore--and almost all foods are marked "made from imported goods" I HATE buying this rubbish. We used to be self sufficent--but it seems that we are now reliant on many 3rd worl countries with God know what type of cleanliness?

Sorry Phyl, but if the Libs hadn't had those billions in the bank, Australia would be in the same financial position as America and the U.K. So while the Labour government is handing it out and looking good, remember who we (and they) have to thank for being in this position. As for posters grizzling about who is getting what in these handouts, every senior can come up with a logical reason for receiving some of this bounty, whether self-funded, married or single, disabled or a carer, so stop whinging, spend your money in any way you wish, with no criticisms on how others spend theirs, and be forever grateful to the current government for using you to boost the economy.

I am still stunned at how gullible some people are - none of these bonuses would have happened if not for the global financial crisis. Let's just wait and see what happens when the "inherited" billions run out. I hope I will be able to eat my words, but I'm cynical enough about politicians to think that we will still be battling for recognition and a fair go for many years to come.

Sorry Phyl, but if the Libs hadn't had those billions in the bank, Australia would be in the same financial position as America and the U.K. So while the Labour government is handing it out and looking good, remember who we (and they) have to thank for being in this position. As for posters grizzling about who is getting what in these handouts, every senior can come up with a logical reason for receiving some of this bounty, whether self-funded, married or single, disabled or a carer, so stop whinging, spend your money in any way you wish, with no criticisms on how others spend theirs, and be forever grateful to the current government for using you to boost the economy.

I am still stunned at how gullible some people are - none of these bonuses would have happened if not for the global financial crisis. Let's just wait and see what happens when the "inherited" billions run out. I hope I will be able to eat my words, but I'm cynical enough about politicians to think that we will still be battling for recognition and a fair go for many years to come.

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Quite agree - but I wonder where someone got her - oops person got those wonderful rose coloured glasses that make Ruddy look so benevolent when he is not at all and never ever will be - didnt call him Doctor Death in Qld when he was COS to Wayne Goss for nothing and he didnt lose all of his staffers recently because he is a 'nice' man - he is shocking once he goes off at you and has scared most journalists who had to take his calls - now of course he is running up a huge phone bill overseas and the Dear Leaders of other countries are probably sick to death of getting his calls telling them how to run their countries whilst stuffing up his own.

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Hence the run of banks or financial institutions NOT covered by his on the run band aid fix for the banks etc and for not even trying to copoperate with Malcolm turnbull who at least being ax ex Merchant banker had the knowledge sadly lacking in Labor and it seems Treasury but that maybe because Mr Henry is fed up with being shouted at too - looked it at the Senate enquiry - had had the Rudd phone call I bet.

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I have to chortle when some on here go on about the 22 billions Rudd got from out of the sky - he didnt - they were inherited from the Liberal Government and credit goes to peter Costello for being the best australian Treasurer since 1788. Lot better than Liberals inherited from Labor in 1996 - [b]96 billion in debt [/b] all paid off and a surplus latest being in November 2007 of 22 billion to pass on to next government - who is now spending half of it and has spent the other half in thought too anyway

Anybody can lick the arses of the former government till the cows come home and it wont impress me one bit. Collection of taxes through excise and GST and whatever is suppose to be spread around to make life easy or at least bearable for the people that pay them. To hoard it for a rainy day might sound good to some but by hoarding it we have got further and further behind, hence now we are trying to make ends meet. Seems to me Rudd now is being chastised for actually handing it out at a time when its well and truly needed due to the tight wad attitides of the past. Sure he inherited 22 billion dollars and had the Liberals handed some of it out prior to the election they might not be in opposition now. Everybody suffered before, teachers, police, health, transport, education you name it and sitting in the pot was 22 billion, that dont gel to me at all. Labour may not be any better than the others were, they have shown that by their actions towards US, we can only hope we will get a fair deal eventually, I personally think we are left to last simply because from a government point of view they live in hope we wont last the distance and a few of us might fall off the perch. Thats me being cheerful, but Im sure it comes into their budget estimates at some time. Taxes and revenue is collected for the infrastructure and quality of life for all the population of Australia and if we dont benefit from it then goverment isnt doing its job as manager properly, we have paid our dues over the years and for that we deserve better than we are getting regardless of what side of poltics you support There does appear to be some very onesided know it all attitudes here when we should be concentrating a common theme of unity.

they were inherited from the Liberal Government and credit goes to peter Costello for being the best australian Treasurer since 1788.



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And that was taken from US!! when they sold off Telstra--gave us the GST--and also did away with the provincal tax--BUT CALLED SOMETHING ELSE--The Libs were not for the ordinary folk--and what about the work choices--Howard was a real smart polly in a very SNEAKY way. I am glad to see the back of him. Tunbull is a very capable man--well presented--but he is also trying to white ant the now Government--the same as all the Libs are.

In general principal, I must agree with you Jade. But all that aside, I must comment on KRudd. He has done nothing but talk & travel for a year, & as soon as we have a world financial crisis, beyond anything that has ever been seen, he shows his brilliance. He has invested half the Nations savings in the only place, that he knows will be turned over immediately, therefore ramping up the Oz economy & at the same time being thanked on bended knee by most of the seniors who have been so impressed by the way he listens to them.

There has been no reason for the government to wait all this time to give an upgrade to the pensions as there was an enquiry into the effect on older Australians of the cost of living done last year and the results published in March this year. I know because I put in a submission pointing out that those of us on the widow allowance-yes I said allowance- do not get a pension and we receive quite a bit below the pension and as a matter of fact we are $134.50 approximately below the poverty line. So all of you on a pension while you need an increase for sure,please think of us widows who are not of pension age, some are not even of an age yet to be identified by their state government or the federal government as seniors even though they may be aged between 55-59 inclusive. All the publicity, pushing done by National Seniors, COTA, other seniors organisations so often totally ignore the plight of widows. So any of you who may be in a similar position as me, that is a widow , still paying a mortgage or even if you own your own home , or are paying rent,write continuosly to your politicians , the papers and keep highliting the unfair discrepancy in what we receive. A lot of us do not have savings,do not have super either because of not having been in the paid workforce or because we used what super we had when we left the workforce to cover bills while our partner was ill.I live in Perth WA and if ever there were going to be protests on the steps of state parliament or in the streets to bring the attention more to the fore in the federal governments mind then I would be a willing participant.