Seniors launch election campaign

Australia's largest seniors organisation has launched a campaign targeting 12
marginal seats, as Prime Minister Julia Gillard confirmed she queried a pay rise for
pensioners.
National Seniors Australia (NSA) chairman Everald Compton warned parties against
ignoring mature-age voters, saying they would do so at "their own peril".
"Forty-five per cent of the voting population are senior.... 25 per cent still have
not made up their mind on how they're going to vote and they will vote depending
upon the policies put out by the parties," Mr Compton told the Brisbane launch of
the group's campaign on Wednesday.
"The ability to win or lose this election depends on the attitude towards seniors."
His statements follows Ms Gillard's admission in Adelaide that she did question a
pension increase when she was deputy PM.
But Mr Compton told AAP he had no qualms with Ms Gillard questioning the rise.
"I negotiated with (Treasurer) Wayne Swan over a long period of time. We agreed on
an increase, he took that to cabinet, it went through in the exact amount that he
and I had discussed," he said.
"I have no quarrels over the situation and I would hope that in cabinet meetings
people would ask questions.
"The information I have is that it went through cabinet unanimously."
The lobby group's chief executive Michael O'Neill said mature-age voters had so far
been largely ignored in the election campaign.
"We're hearing a lot about boats and schools but where's dental health and aged
care? Both are at crisis point and no one's talking about them," he said.
Brisbane pensioner Clem Clarke said he believed the financial crisis was not over
and his biggest concern was the state of the economy.
"We need someone who takes the economy seriously and someone needs to get the banks
under control," he said.
Self-funded retiree Peter Gaterell said he wanted to see more concessions for
self-funded retirees to help with ongoing cost of living increases.
Brisbane veteran Ted Chitham said ex-servicemen needed more financial security.
"We're not treated the same as aged pensioners. Our pension is lower," he said.
Warwick Redding, from Brisbane, said he wanted to see the National Seniors
Association nominate a Senate candidate.
The NSA's campaign will seek commitments on aged care, financial security, support
for mature-age workers and an end to negative perceptions made against older people.
Meetings with members and local candidates will be held in 12 marginal seats,
starting with the seat of Brisbane on Wednesday.
Other meetings will be held in the seats of Bowman and Longman in Queensland,
Bennelong, Eden Monaro and Paterson in NSW, Deakin and La Trobe in Victoria, Hasluck
in Western Australia, Sturt in South Australia and Bass in Tasmania.



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