Saffin scuttles pension increase for thousands on North Coast

“…difficult choices at the checkout, while Kevin 747 continues his world tour..” Page Labor MP Janelle Saffin needs to explain to thousands of North Coast single pensioners, veterans and war widows why she voted in Parliament on Tuesday to deny them a $30-a-week increase in their aged pension, according to North Coast Nationals Senator Fiona Nash. “The Senate on Monday passed the Coalition’s Urgent Relief for Single Aged Pensioners Bill, but Labor Members including Page MP Janelle Saffin and Richmond MP Justine Elliot used their numbers to bury the initiative in the House of Representatives,” Senator Nash said. “The North Coast has one of the highest concentration of single aged pensioners in Australia and they are living on just $273 a week – a sum which a string of senior Labor Ministers have conceded they couldn’t survive on.” “Thanks to Mrs Saffin and company, thousands of pensioners from Grafton to Lismore and Casino to Ballina will be forced to make difficult choices at the checkout, while Kevin 747 continues his world tour.” Senator Nash dubbed the bill “Don’s Law” after visiting the Tweed seniors advocate Don Morgan at his home in July. “Don and Nancy understand what Janelle and Justine don’t: massive recent grocery and fuel price rises mean single pensioners cannot wait for Rudd Labor’s pension review which is not due to report until 2009 – these people need help now,” Senator Nash said. “The measure is affordable: it would cost just $1 billion a year, while the Rudd Government inherited a $21 billion surplus from the previous Coalition Government,” she concluded. Contact: Murray Lees, media adviser, 0447 34 00 25

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