Carbon tax will hurt Senior Australians
Bert van Manen MP, Federal Member for Forde has joined Shadow Minister for Seniors Bronwyn Bishop, in condemning the Labor-Green Government’s carbon tax announcement which is set to punish senior Australians in Forde including those still in the work force, self-funded retirees and pensioners.
Mr van Manen has spoken to pensioners and self funded retirees in Forde and shares their concerns that their children and grandchildren face a reduced standard of living with the imposition of this tax.
The Federal Member highlighted that the carbon tax will not only directly increase the cost of energy, but will also heavily impact a wide variety of goods senior Australians in Forde purchase in their everyday lives.
“Pensioners and self funded retirees in Forde will see the rising cost of living as not only will their electricity and gas be more expensive but so will all the products of daily life, food, water, transport and health. Even fuel prices will increase as a result of increased electricity costs and, ultimately, increased fuel transport costs,” Mr van Manen said.
“The Prime Minister lied to the people when she said six days before the election that there would be no carbon tax under a government she leads. How can pensioners and self funded retirees in Forde trust Julia Gillard?” Mr van Manen asked.
The Federal Member highlighted that working seniors and self-funded retirees in Forde will be some of the worst affected. Not only will their cost of living rise but they will either be taxed more for working harder or will miss out on payments altogether.
For seniors earning the full time average wage equivalent of some $70,000 they will face an increase in their marginal tax rate of 2.5c in the dollar from 1 July next year. Someone earning only $25,000 and facing a marginal rate of 15c in the dollar will see this rise to 19c in the dollar. So for both these groups the incentive to earn extra income is diminished.
Self-funded retirees who do not hold a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card will not receive any of the extra government payments. This means 285,000 Australians who have saved and sacrificed to fund themselves in retirement and do not rely on the taxpayer will be dramatically worse off.
Mr van Manen echoes Mrs Bishops commitment that if Labor and the Greens pass the carbon tax, the Coalition will rescind it.
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