MARKUS WARNS THAT CARBON TAX WILL HURT SENIORS
21-July-2011
Louise Markus MP, Federal Member for Macquarie 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 Macquarie including those still in the work force, self-funded retirees and pensioners.
Mrs Markus has spoken to pensioners and self funded retirees in Macquarie and shares their concerns that their children and grandchildren face a reduced standard of living with the imposition of this tax.
Local resident Pamela Charlton of Springwood summed up the feelings of seniors across our community
“A lot of older people are living a hand to mouth existence,” Pamela Charlton said. “This wretched tax will only make things worse. Many of my friends have become increasingly frugal, remarking that it reminds them of the austerity measures during the war. We used to feel happy, healthy, safe and secure but not anymore”.
The President of The Hawkesbury Branch of The Association of Independent Retirees, Bob Newland voices the opinion of many seniors in the Hawkesbury. “The quicker the government forgets about this tax and focuses on something else the better,” Bob Newland said.
“To put seniors through all this pain for such an infinitesimal change in the world’s climate is ridiculous.
“I don’t know what we are going to do; people are struggling to pay for electricity already. I don’t know how anybody will be able to afford these bills that are coming out and electricity prices affect everything. If the price of electricity goes up the cost of everything goes up. People are struggling with the cost of living already and this will only make it worse.
“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 Macquarie trust Julia Gillard?” Mrs Markus asked.
Louise Markus highlighted that working seniors and self-funded retirees in Macquarie 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.
“The Coalition’s commitment to the Australian people is that we will do everything in our power to fight this toxic tax. The Coalition will oppose it in opposition and rescind it in government. There must be no carbon tax without a mandate,” Louise Markus concluded.