At Association meetings around the country the question is often asked what is Grey Power doing for the elderly.
Unfortunately this is not an easy question to answer as we are continuously engaged in dialogue with Ministers,
opposition and coalition parties, Ministry officials and like organisations.
We are never sure whether we are successful in our endeavours to influence the politicians but we are sure that
our organisation is being consulted more and more by the various political parties.
There have been comments about the futility of this lobbying, described in some quarters as running to Parliament
wasting good Federation funds, when there appears to be no identifiable measure of success but whether we like it
or not the only people that can change the current situation of the elderly are the politicians and while they are
advised by a large team of bureaucrats and other advisers it is they who in the end will determine our future
well being .
While a large membership is desirable and necessary from a financial point of view notice will not be taken of us if
we do not consistently state our claims with the politicians.
Cabinet remains the final decision making body and it would be fair to say that the elderly still do not appear to have many friends in that arena.
It has been an interesting year and our main thrusts as always has been health and superannuation.
Essentially our message has been that the current level of New Zealand Superannuation is just too low for many
elderly to live comfortably.
We have pressed for a higher level of at least 35% of the average wage to be paid to each of the married couple.
As to health we are disappointed that the waiting list position is showing no improvement with elective surgery being cancelled when emergency procedures take precedence.
It is our belief that the politicians do nothing to correct the myth but in fact foster the belief that each of the superannuitants in a marriage arrangement is paid 65% of the average wage which brings the comment from the general public that they are relatively well off.
We the elderly have skills to offer which no-one wants.
We have people skills, family skills trade, professional and technical skills but we are old and we are
characterised as not being capable of change, not being up with modern technology and not
capable of performing.
We all currently face future increases in power charges, petrol prices, dairy foods, rates, meat
(a rarity for some).
We are consistently trying to convince government that the level of superannuation must be raised.
Neither the current government nor the previous government have been very elderly friendly and in reality over the years since we have been established , granted we have developed relations and contacts as mentioned before, we have achieved nowhere as much as we have hoped.
The National NZ First coalition did remove surcharge and the Labour Alliance coalition did restore the lower level of 65% of the band in which the NZS falls but apart from that very little result can be evidenced.
You will recall that the lower level of the NZS band was reduced to 60% because the elderly were to save the country from the economic Asian Crisis but just how was never explained.
However that adjustment made in 1999 by the Labour government did not take into account that the method of calculating the nett average after tax ordinary time weekly wage was changed in 1998 and this change dropped the average wage substantially.
As stated above we have met with most Ministers and also with all the Leaders of the other parties in the House – I will not repeat the basis and outcome of the individual meetings as these have been adequately reported by separate reports circulated to all Associations.
What I will say however is that we have been well received by all those we have met, including the Ministers, as they recognise that Grey Power may have something to offer them.
I will not detail the activities of each of the Board members; suffice to say that all have contributed to the affairs of the Federation in the way that they have considered appropriate.
The main contribution of the Board members and remember that Zone Directors are Board members by another name, is the discussion that has taken place at either the Board table or via email and fax .
However I would make special mention of the support that Vi McCowatt provides to all Board members and to all Associations and advise that in my opinion that without her tireless support in assisting at the office we would not be the competent low cost organisation that we are.
Credit must also go to the office staff who do a terrific job in making sure the office runs smoothly -Janice Harding has been with us for some years and more than adequately handles any queries that are raised - Daphne has fitted in well and is a useful member of the office staff.
We have contact with many senior personnel in the Ministry of Health and other
Non Government organisations involved in health of the elderly.
Our committee members are participating in a number of Government committees
which in essence means that we considered as being sufficiently important to be
consulted and included in the decision making process.
Information from our members indicates that many are struggling and frankly for someone on NZS with no other income he or she is in difficulties especially if living in rented accommodation.
We continue to press for 6 monthly adjustments and a level of at least 70% of
the Nett After Tax Ordinary Time Weekly Wage.
Don Robertson has done an excellent job in picking up and moving forward a
portfolio which is perhaps our most difficult.
Why do we receive such little publicity? – the difficulty with media is still there but it has to be accepted that when Greypower was founded because the media was against the then government we received major publicity because we were railing against the government and when the National government was elected our media exposure fell completely away.
However we are now contacted by the radio media so that statements from Grey Power do from time to time appear in news clips.
For the coming election we have instituted an Election Strategy committee to better orchestrate our media releases which will be professionally done by a person we have hired for that purpose.
We have revised our policies and these are now in booklet form ready for distribution.
Superannuation still our major concern – with all the costs going up an adjustment
by CPI is just not sufficient.- the level of the % of the weekly wage must be raised.
We need six monthly adjustments and the level raised to 70% of the average wage.
Living costs continue to escalate and many prime cuts of meat are beyond most
and a leg of lamb, once the stable Sunday dinner, is merely a far memory.
The level of NZS is just not sufficient for most.
Apart from food costs other costs continue to escalate and are unavoidable for
all – predictions for electricity are that it will double over the next five years.
It has already increased 42% in Christchurch over the last three years with
further rises signalled.
The 50+ situation is also a major concern as all members experience the problem
of Non Qualified Spouse.
The Governments intransient attitude to this is disappointing as the earnings of the
NQS are rebated at 70 cents in the dollar over $80 gross per week –
Widows and DPBs are treated much more generously
We contest the ruling that family income should be used as the basis of the income test as this includes any income that the superannuitant may receive from building up a nest egg for retirement.
The three major problems affecting the health of the elderly are
Two budgets ago, one budget item was that joint procedures were to double but there is no evidence that this has happened to date.
Waiting lists have been severely culled and the number of people on the phantom waiting list of people in transit between GP and specialist grows by the day – 10500 alone have been moved off the waiting in Canterbury.
Asset testing. still remains a problem as the law now has changed the threshold
for both in care and a surviving partner in care to $150,000 incremented by
$10,000 each year.
The threshold for one partner in care si raised to $55,000
– this doesn’t meet the 1999 election promise to remove and obviously the government considered that commitment to be unimportant despite our many meetings with the Minister concerned where our concern was to safeguard the house which is such a cause of family strife.
Electricity is subject to a continual escalation of price by both the state owned SOEs
and the private company Contact .
The government benefits from the variations in the wholesale market and treats
the industry that it controls as a cash cow and offers no hope other than
continuing prices rises.
Local bodies have become totally uncontrollable with the continuing escalation of
rates including the problem of a uniform general rate .
There needs to be a firm cap on rate rises and the rises restricted to less than
the CPI.
No council seems to head the requirement that in setting rates the
council must consider the ratepayers’ ability to pay.
GST on rates is accepted by government as a tax on a tax but govt will not forgo
the $160m tax involved.
The Minister of Finance had always claimed to us that the amount involved was
$780m but during the discussion on the Private members bill in Parliament to
remove GST from rates the correct amount stated was $160m.
No rise in taxes were a feature on the 1999 pledge card but we currently are paying extra 4.7 cents for Auckland roads and 2.78 cents increase for ACC ( 2.3 to 5.08 cents per litre)
We have the advice of a further 5.6 cents a rise in April.
Toll roads remain a possibility with a government/private partnership plus
possibly electronic bookings for using existing roads as was proposed in
Foresight 2001 by the previous government.
LTSA has now been abandoned and the older drivers regime is being reviewed by a special committee instituted by the Ministry of Transport on which we have representation.
The Human rights Commission still has pending our case of discrimination against elderly drivers
Retirement villages Act is still very much an owner piece of legislation and we have submitted comments on the Code of Practice.
Law and Order and Justice –we maintain a policy of being visible & vocal but we never seem to have enough police – except for revenue gathering on the roads.
The Government takes a lot of notice of the Maori vote because they are an identifiable group and have the privilege of seats set aside for them.
The Maori with their separate roll vote 75% in favour of Labour and hence
they are identifiable and receive recognition as such .
We don’t but we are still the largest voting block in the country and
increasing all the time.
Basically while we will never have seats allocated to the elderly, we will never succeed until we become a voting block similar to the Maori so we have to convince them that we are a force to be reckoned with and we can do that t hrough the Party Vote.
In the end it is the individual that puts the cross and you must consider that the power in the coalition rests with the minor coalition party and if a minor party has policy planks that benefit you then that is where your party vote should go.
Cease to think only along old first past the post party lines but what is best for you, because no-one else does and place your party vote there.
The future is in your own hands with voting power so use it wisely.
It is therefore opportune to suggest to you that if we are to be as successful
as we would wish, then your own approach may need some examination.
You must consider whether in this climate of MMP where the main bargaining
power rests not with the majority party but with the coalition partner, that
we should take advantage of this.
Until we can influence the nature of the coalition party then we will not be
recognised as a voting block.
This means that instead of adhering to years of First Past the Post ideology and religiously voting for one party or the other you must consider which political party offers the best outcome for you and abandon previous party loyalties.
At this time it is not what Grey power can do for you but what you can do for Grey Power to make us a recognisable voting block.
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