How did the Boomers screw thee? Let me count the ways

Abloody disgraceful inter-generational transference of stupidity.’’ So said a colleague – incidentally, a baby boomer – as he watched rolling statistics highlighting the generational divide in the shock vote for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.

The UK’s old – many retired, or careering towards it – decided on behalf of the young that they didn’t want Johnny Foreigner coming in to take their jobs. Firstly, let’s not forget the irony in that. It should worry them the least, particularly when considering conversely the ones most affected by immigrant competition – the young – voted Remain.

And aside perhaps from the Polish, most immigration they object to likely comes from other non-EU countries – immigration that can be controlled by the UK Government.

Voting statistics showed 73 per cent of 18 to 24 year-olds voted to remain, as did 62 per cent of 25-34s.

But an aging population meant that with a 59 per cent vote to leave, that group of pensioners outweighed the younger Remain vote by about 1.3 million votes.

So the young, working population of Britain, and many in New Zealand, will lose their EU passports. And with that, the ease of travelling and working in destinations that will challenge their world view in ways that would have many Boomers choking into their cups of tea. The world will be worse off for it.

It’s the latest in a long history of that generation ruining it for future ones.

HOUSING

Auckland is all but closed off to the firsthome buyer, and other centres are beginning to feel the effects of a market in which you need a cool $1 million to get a foot in the door.

Little problem for the Baby Boomer, who can leverage that size mortgage off their portfolio of largely uninsulated rental properties.

SUPERANNUATION

Led by Chief Boomer John Key, the age of superannuation will remain at 65 until a government is sufficiently confident it won’t have a hope of lasting another term, and so makes the responsible decision to raise it.

The Government set aside $12.9 billion at this year’s budget for superannuation payments. It is not means tested, it is not income tested.

A boomer does not have to be retired at 65 to begin claiming up to $770 a fortnight, a good number aren’t.

And while many are retired, with no other income, it’s questionable that they need to be at 65, when New Zealanders are now living to an average age of 81. Drastic changes will need to be made well before those under 35 reach that age.

That means the young have 30 to 45 years to pay off student loans their forebears never had, save for a mortgage – in some cases more than triple the size boomers had to contend with at that age, pay off that mortgage, then save upwards of $400,000 for retirement.

FLAG

We had a chance to change the flag to something that future generations of New Zealanders could get behind.

We voted for nostalgia, and kept the symbol of a kingdom that could in future be torn apart. But hey, what’s one more stupid decision forced by the old onto the young?

It’s enough to leave a young voter apathetic.