Coalition to target older voters with aged-care system boost

MALCOLM Turnbull is crafting a “Boomer-friendly” May Budget as he prepares for an election-year battle with Labor for the votes of older Australians.

News Corp Australia has learned the Government is poised to introduce new laws to guarantee the tax rates and rules on superannuation to give certainty to older voters planning for their retirement.

The laws, combined with a string of major spending initiatives in next month’s Budget, will draw new battlelines to win over the 4.8 million Australian voters over 60.

A special taskforce on ageing, run by Mr Turnbull’s office, is also understood to be driving a package of major reforms that will include a significant boost to the aged-care system.

The Government will move on dire warnings that the na- tion’s nursing homes are in need of $33 billion of investment over the next decade in an attempt to reverse years of neglect in planning for the ageing population.

After 18 months of pain over its changes to superannuation, it is understood that new laws will be introduced after the Budget is handed down in an attempt to reassure over 50s as they prepare for life after fulltime work.

The legislation will cement the rules governing people’s life savings and is likely to be used as a pre-election campaigning tool to challenge Labor to give similar guarantees.