Valuing the elderly
The year after he was elected, Pope Francis criticised the treatment of the elderly. He called upon societies to value pensioners and not simply “discard” them. Some local politicians and social commentators should take heed of his words.
In recent years some political parties and an army of lobbyists have tried to convince New Zealanders that superannuation is unaffordable in its present form. Some other “experts” also claim that the elderly are taking resources that should be given to the young. New Zealand First has always insisted that the most vulnerable in society must be protected, and the two groups most at risk are the young and the old. That’s why we introduced free medical care for young children and insisted on a universal pension, free of means testing, for the elderly. We added the SuperGold Card to bring thousands of businesses in to selling at discount to Gold Card holders, and to enable some off-peak travel on buses, trains and ferries. This enables seniors to attend appointments, do the shopping or simply catch up with friends and family. Contact with others is very important for the elderly.
There is actually no reason to panic about the cost of superannuation. It costs 4.1 per cent nett of our GDP, about half the cost in some countries. But there is a gross unfairness in our system that all political parties, except New Zealand First, fail to address. We refer to the 70,000 immigrants who have accessed our superannuation after living here for only 10 years, with no requirement to have paid taxes.
This is an intolerable situation. Why should an immigrant — probably brought here under a parental reunion scheme — receive the same amount as others who have worked here for up to 50 years? Why don’t the superannuation knockers ever mention this anomaly? Answer — because their parties subscribe to the foolish policy of open door immigration and New Zealand becoming a retirement home for the immigrant parents. As well, as soon as they get residence they are entitled to all our health and welfare benefits.
New Zealanders who’ve been here all their lives should not have to join a queue because of record immigration, most going to Auckland, where housing, health, education and transport services are choking under the demand.
Our party is keeping a close watch on changes to the entitlements earned by our senior citizens, because there has been a reduction in the level of services, such as home help through public health providers. We have a plan before Parliament to get three free GP visits a year for SuperGold Card holders. Some find it hard to pay for a trip to the doctor, and winter always brings health problems. We only have to keep 1 per cent of pensioners out of hospital for this scheme to pay for itself.
Pope Francis praised the role of the elderly in society, and called on people to appreciate them more. We can do our bit by leaving their modest pension alone and helping them through a harsh winter.