Australia - The Lucky Country - On borrowed money.

[KhunHeineken]

On 5/1/2025 at 12:59 AM, Olmate said:

So dont vote for either? 

I think that's exactly what will happen this election.  A big swing away from both major parties and big gains by smaller parties and independents. 

[KhunHeineken]

5 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Gp5lVwqawAAgl1p?format=jpg&name=small

 

The Coalition released their election costings late yesterday two days before polling

Buried in the costings as a savings measure , anyone travelling overseas for more than 4 weeks will no longer receive their pension

Nothing about "grandfathering" clause for those already o/seas with portability

 

Be alert people

 

 

Here's the link. 

 

https://www.liberal.org.au/policy/our-plan-for-a-sustainable-budget

 

Scroll down to "Overseas eligibility for social services payments – reduce to four weeks."

[KhunHeineken]

2 hours ago, Olmate said:

spud is doomed if.that gets.some publicity

Why?

 

Expats don't head to embassies to vote, and the amount of pensioners who are planning to live overseas would be an insignificant number.  Hardly any votes lost on this policy. 

 

 

[RJRS1301]

47 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

Why?

 

Expats don't head to embassies to vote, and the amount of pensioners who are planning to live overseas would be an insignificant number.  Hardly any votes lost on this policy. 

 

 

However for those already receiving pensions because of their portability qualification, they are at risk  could be at risk of loss of receiving payments

 

[KhunHeineken]

1 hour ago, RJRS1301 said:

However for those already receiving pensions because of their portability qualification, they are at risk  could be at risk of loss of receiving payments

 

A very very small portion of voters. 

 

Like I said, expat pensioners don't go to embassies to vote, and the demographic you describe is so small that the numbers are insignificant, also, how many back in Australia to re-establish residency for the purpose of pension portability have even bothers to re-enroll on the electoral roll?

 

Hardly any votes lost on this policy, and it would be devastating to expat pensioners.  It would cause just about all of them to return to Australia, and before you mention the burden on the health system, the government would hire any more staff or build more hospitals, what would happen is simply the waiting lists would be longer.  

 

As I said way back in the pension thread, Australia is broke and the government wants / needs this pension money circulating in the Australian economy, rather than Australian tax payers money boosting a foreign country's economy.

 

Between the proposed changes to tax residency laws, which both major political parties agree with, and now this by the Liberals, the writing is on the wall.  They want to stop the exodus of pensioners from Australia.

[ozfarang]

1 hour ago, RJRS1301 said:

However for those already receiving pensions because of their portability qualification, they are at risk  could be at risk of loss of receiving payments

 

Your pension would be paid whether you voted or not 

[KhunHeineken]

7 minutes ago, ozfarang said:

Your pension would be paid whether you voted or not 

It appears Liberal have a policy of cutting off the pension once you are outside of Australia for more than 4 weeks, whether you voted, or not.