Update 15

10 Mar 2012

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Issue # 15 Dated: 10 March 2012

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Welcome to this issue of Update.

It has been a busy week with the campaign gaining national exposure and increased momentum in a number of ways, thanks to:

• an opportunity presented by Wayne Swan, that allowed us to organise and conduct a direct action at the National Press Club by our ACT supporters in double quick time.

• The revelations from Peter Thorntons FOI research into superannuation data that seriously questions its accuracy for use in Governments cost calculations

• Peter Crisss historical research into indexation and its application by successive governments that was reported in both a Newspaper article and a radio interview

• The Coalitions reaffirmation of its military superannuation indexation policy

To stay current with events as they unfold please follow us at www.adso.org.au. And pass the information on to your family mates and friends.

Monday 5th March – National Press Club Lunch

On 2 March we became aware that the Deputy PM and Treasurer Wayne Swan would be speaking at the NPC on the Labor Governments determination to advance the concept of the fair go. He said “Labor has always been the Party of the fair go and the primary guardian of Australias egalitarian tradition”. 

ADSO decided to act and organised a peaceful assembly of its ACT supporters outside the Press Club holding placards and handing out flyers to the journalists and guests who attended the lunch. Our purpose was to remind Mr Swan that the Governments application of a Fair Go has been denied to military superannuation pension and DVA disability payments indexation. We gained national TV coverage

In question time the Treasurer responded to a question by Phillip Hudson on military superannuation. Read the answer here. Swan believes we ” …have a very good defined benefit superannuation scheme for which there is a very big public contribution.”

The following day we released this Media Statement Veterans Challenge The Government – Show Us Your So-Called “Facts”

adobePDFIconRead it here

Monday 5th March – Coalition Reaffirms Their Commitment

In Bendigo the Leader of the Opposition reaffirmed the Coalitions commitment when in Government to provide fair indexation for DFRDB and DFRB superannuants over the age of 55. Read their Press Release here.

ADSO appreciates the Coalitions policy restatement but wants that policy to be extended without exclusion to all schemes with immediate priority to the disabled under 55 aged DFRDB superannuates.

adobePDFIconThe Letter  adobePDFIconThe Pledge

Monday 5th March – Oakshott Welcomes Opposition Support for Veterans

 

adobePDFIconOakshotts media Release

 

We ask Rob Oakshott and all Parliamentarians to consider Peter Thorntons (an independent researcher) revelations of the data quality and accuracy provided by the Department of Finance and De-Regulation to the Parliament and used by the Government to determine the fair indexation cost.

Evidence obtained under FOI shows that the budget projections of Military Pensions undertaken by the Dept of Finance and its subsidiaries has been greatly tainted. Their data shows that Commonwealth provided retirement pay is still being recorded against dead recipients, that some members of these schemes became members of these schemes before they were even born, and that some recipients apparently lived anywhere up to a 125 years of age, setting new world records for life expectancy.

Add this to the former Finance Minister Lindsay Tanners disclosure in his book “Sideshow – dumbing down democracy” Chapter 7. Politicians Fight Back, page 108

and reported in the Weekend Australian 30th April -1 May 2011, would surely lead one to greater scrutiny before accepting the recommendation. Tanner said,

Tanner said: “As a shadow minister and minister for finance, I became adept at these dark arts, using some of what are now the standard tricks employed to maximise political appearances: switching between cash and accrual accounting; using nominal, real or proportion of gross domestic product indicators of spending, according to which indicator suited the argument better; classifying yearly spending as capital; making commitments beyond the forward-estimates years; and spending money at the end of the financial year when you know youre on track to exceed the original budget estimates.”

Is it any wonder that the defence family challenges the Government to show us the facts and their assumptions upon which they have determined the cost of restoring military superannuation indexation to its original and contracted intent .


Friday 9 March – The Punch Article – Peter Criss

Military superannuation pensions need protection

soldiersby Peter Criss | The Deputy Prime Minister, Wayne Swan, spoke at the National Press Club, Canberra, on Monday – the topic, The Rising… [READ MORE]

More from Peter Here

 


 

Please read the article and add your comment and tick the recommended box. The more comments made keeps the article on display for days.

 

Friday 9 March – Radio Interview 4 BC Brisbane

This is an excellent and frank interview with Peter Criss by Greg Carey. It goes to the heart of both the superannuation and the disability payment indexation issues. This is a MUST hearing. Go to http://www.4bc.com.au/and add your comment

COMMUNITY FORUMS

Our Action Groups are active, particularly in Queensland where we have conducted forums at RSL premises in Ipswich, Caboolture, Townsville and North Brisbane (Kedron/Wavell) . In these forums we explain ADSO, what the Fair Go Campaign is all about, its organisation, objectives, strategies and plans and importantly how you can support it by telling us your story and giving advice. This is a campaign we are conducting for our defence family. The results have been successful in both educational, plans refinement and recruiting senses

We thank the RSL Queensland State Branch President, Terry Meehan, for allowing us access to the RSL Sub-Branch Management Committees for them to approve the use of their premises and facilities to promote the Fair Go Campaign.

In Queensland these forums are planned for other areas: Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast Brisbane regions and provincial cities.

In other States these Forums will be conducted at a place near you

We encourage all our Keep Informed subscribers to take that extra step and join your local electorate Action Group. See how at www.adso.org.au and click on the Volunteer box. And for those who are not yet subscribers come on, join the thousands who have.

RSL

Visit http://www.rsl.org.au to keep current with the RSLs activities and to see the National Presidents Newsletter. Minister Snowdons belated reply (13/02/2012) years) to the Presidents Letter (22/02/2010) is inexcusable.

adobePDFIconread it here

Join Now

Success in this campaign will have direct benefits to over 200,000 people receiving a military superannuation or a disability payment as well as their immediate family. If you are one of that number then help us to help you.

If you are not one of that number then you may want to support those that are in the defence family.

We invite you to Stand Up and Stand with Us. Join the campaign at www.adso.org.au

Fund Raising

The Campaign is funded solely from donations, merchandise sales and other means.

As we now move into direct action our promotion costs for paid media (including TV) advertising and production will increase as will research and legal costs for advice in relation to legal options being explored.

You can donate HERE.

On the 16th March our ADSO bumper sticker can be seen and will be available on a donation of $5 each by order on line at www.adso.org.au or at sites near you. They will be distributed to you by the least costly means. Full details will be available next Friday.

 

MSVPDMC
VHC
WRA
From the “Fair Go!” Team

Campaign Directors: Ted Chitham , Ray Gibson 

Campaign National Spokesperson: David Jamison 

Stay current with the Campaign at www.adso.org.au