Comments on: Pensioners can’t see the Budget benefits for the myopia

By: Tom McLoughlin

Tom McLoughlin — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Is there something wrong with comprehension in the electorate? Sure both Howard was sleazy claiming he would do better on keeping interest rates low (given global factors), as Rudd et al were sleazy to claim they would do better on keeping Petrol Inflation Groceries (PIG) costs low (given supply and global factors) while bringing down a stimulatory budget. Not that they would keep them low, only relatively better. Is this such a subtle claim concept? Are the 70% without tertiary education really thick? Nah. o both leaders were sleazy. Mmm. That’s not really news in politics. What it reads like to me is mediocre big media in a same old game of ‘gotcha’ in their own sleazy game of moral panic about ‘decietful’ politicians. That’s funny with the Big Media being so cynical themselves to sell their product, more often than not ‘pseudo news’.

By: Marilyn

Marilyn — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Most of the old people whinging are the people who wanted Howard re-elected so they could skim off the excess.

One old bloke was whinging to ABC that his income from investments was a miserly $60,000 per annum to keep up his million dollar house in a plush suburb and support his hobby of restoring classic cars.

It is not the elderly that are in so much of a mess as they were mostly pretty careful and we have an army of gray nomads who are suddenly pleading poor, it is younger people who are disabled or suddenly single parents with lower skills levels that need support.

And they never get it. Kerry was absurd last night and he should be ashamed of himself for his nonsense. As pensions are paid from tax, it is not possible to have a tax review without reviewing pensions which are currently running at 30% of the budget one way or the other.

By: Harry

Harry — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Not all pensioners! My wife and I think we have been cared for very well. We do not earn a taxable amount but then we have never ever been on a big income.
I applaud the way the gov’t is going about the whole matter of retirment income. For those who whinge because they can’t maintain their high income lifestyle, then tough bikkies! It’s the single pensioner with no other means of income who is really doing it tough. Incidentally I have never voted for Howard. Me thinks he was more obsessed with retaining power than goverening for the good of the country. Many other of my colleague pensioners feel the same. Maybe we need a little more sensitivity in this matter and say that some pensioners are doing a grizzle. If they include the single pensioner w/o any other means of income, then I can understand and appreciate how difficult it must be for them

By: Elisabeth Kinnear

Elisabeth Kinnear — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Thanks Bernard, yet another aegist comment from Crikey.

By: Venise Alstergren

Venise Alstergren — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Personally I’m fed up to the back teeth with the oldies and of course they aren’t ALP voters. No, these wrinklies, false teeth a chattering and Zimmer-frames a clanking, are graduates of the v.v.hard, right wing school of radio talk -back jocks..
Having spent a whole lifetime squandering what little amount of brain power they had; plus having used up all their passion on sex??? No, no, no, football for Ch*ist’s sake! Thus do they present themselves, quite literally empty -headed to the Neil Mitchell’s and the; what’s his name? Sounds like a drug company Darren, Um, well is it Grinch or something?
Why is it these radio jocks are all so right wing? Anyway, it would have been simplicity itself to plant an idea into these addle-pated pensioners.
NB: These comments were in no way directed at disabled persons.

By: JamesK

JamesK — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

It’s……a consequence of a wilful misinterpretation of the Prime Minister’s remarks during the February problems with the carers’ and seniors’ bonuses, that “they wouldn’t be left in the lurch.” ” What is ‘wilful’ and what is the misinterpretation of that remark?
No mention Bernard of Kevs use of “mate” addressing his Mate Kerry Nauseating O’Brien last night during a nauseating interview on national tv after Mate Kerry raised exactly the issue you are commenting on, “mate”?

By: Phillip

Phillip — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

“not exactly known for their selflessness and sense of inter-generational equity” - Bernard, what studies are you basing this mindless generalization on? The same studies that refer to “chardonnay-sipping leftists”? Are you actually being paid to cough up this drivel or do you donate your time gratis, because that’s about all this level of journalism deserves. This is is the sort of superficial subjective sniping one could expect say, from Popbitch, I thought you guys were supposed to be attempting serious, alternative journalism? No wonder I don’t subscribe.

By: Mick Sullivan

Mick Sullivan — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Re Aged Pensions:
Howard did nothing to help pensioners cope with inflation or huge rent increases. He gave a one-off bonus to everyone he could think of in the last week of June 2007 (to make his huge surplus not look too high)
He cut billion off public housing over his 12 years.
The greatest sufferers are those on a single income paying private rent

By: John James

John James — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

”..partly blame this on John Howard… Swan and Rudd are being held to a very high standard in their public remarks.” Give me a break, Bernard. Yes, they’re expected to say what they mean and mean what they say. Kind of the standard we expect in just about every walk of life,except maybe the Canberra Press gallery.