Dr Dennis Jensen MP

Blaming the elderly is a tired old argument, Kevin

There is nothing new in the mid summer sermons of Prime Minister Rudd as he meanders across the Australian continent.

The fact that health expenses are rising faster than inflation is not a revelation it is simply a well known fact. Neither is it new that the population is ageing. This simply means that people are living longer and healthier lives and is a cause for celebration, not morbid prognostications.

What is new is that Mr Rudd is blaming older Australians for the cost blowout. The blame game used to refer to the Commonwealth blaming the States for health problems and the States returning the favour. The new blame game, apparently is to blame those who have worked hard, brought up families, added to the wealth of the nation and provided for themselves as best they can – that is Senior Australians.

Nice one Mr Rudd.

The reality is that ageing accounts for only one fifth of the rising health costs. The majority of health costs rise because of the introduction of new and expensive drugs and technologies together with higher consumer expectations of the level and type of services available. These are the major cost drivers and will remain so.

As we reflect on Australian Day it gives me much pleasure to see the recognition of Senior Australians, with the announcement of Maggie Beer as Senior Australian of the year.

In 1999 the first Senior Australian of the year was announced. It was Slim Dusty and the criteria I considered essential as the then minister was the continuing contribution that person would make. Maggie is a terrific appointment.

I hope as Mr Rudd made the announcement he reflected upon that continuing contribution. Instead of shifting the blame game onto Senior Australians he needs to see Senior Australians as a positive asset, including mature age workers benefiting the nation rather than blaming them for being in his terms ‘a challenge' and a reason to increase taxation.

Ageing is only a direct cause of dependency to the extent that those not working are reliant upon income from those working.

In fact there are many seniors who continue to earn income from their labour, shares, savings, superannuation, real estate or other assets.

Instead of just shifting the blame game, government needs to develop policies that ensure that all Australians can expect to be respected throughout life.

Mr Rudd also seems to forget that both ends of the spectrum are dependant on those participating in the workforce and is expressed as the dependency ratio. Simply it comprises children who do not work expressed as 0 to 15 year olds and those past pension entitlement age.

The fact that we have added (fortunately) an additional 50,000 babies, annually since 2000 to our population increases significantly  the cost of education, health and welfare payments.

There are some weird folk who lament our mini baby boom which I consider a great joy and a cost well worth providing for the education and training to prepare them for their working lives. But until they enter the workforce they are dependant and that can be well past 15 years of age.

We need policies that enable people to participate longer in the workforce if they wish, enabling continuous up-skilling and break down barriers to access re-training.

Research shows that if just 10% of people between the age of 55 and 70 years remain in the workforce instead of leaving there is a significant rise in the gross domestic product (GDP) and income for all Australians.

As we celebrate Australia Day it is time to reflect on the contribution of all who have built this magnificent country and honour our Constitution and the institutions and symbols, such as our National Flag, that underpin our way of life.

We can then have the confidence that Australians will, through their own endeavours have a secure future.

Labor IR changes hurt WA

Western Australia will see its key industries crippled by strike action and Union corruption under Labors new work place relations laws says Dr Dennis Jensen.

"Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard needs to explain to the Australian people what she intends doing to stop the escalation of illegal strike action by some unions.

"Labor's new industrial laws are not up to the task of stopping some in the union movement from running riot across the country", said Dr Dennis Jensen.

WA has seen a number of high profile strikes and strike action recently with mine sites and production coming to a halt. It now emerges that three of the nation's most militant unions are being investigated for attempting to impose the 'no ticket – no start' bully boy tactics which featured so prominently in the 70's and 80's when Australian workers were held to ransom by the union movement.

"Mining is a lively hood for many people in Tangney, they dont need to be pressured into, or pressured by a union. They want to do an honest days work for an honest days pay. Julia Gillards reforms are allowing the unions to control the resource industry as it once did. This means less pay and less production on many mine sites", Dr Jensen said.

"Labor's Fair Work laws aren't working and now it's time Julia Gillard stepped up to the plate to take on Labor's union financers and put a stop to the irreparable damage that's being done to the Australian economy and thereby all Australian's."

Remembering the bombing of Darwin 68 years on

The 68th anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin will be remembered today in the Northern capital.

Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Louise Markus MP, will join Darwin residents in commemorating the first air bombing raid on Australian soil.

"On 19 February 1942, Australia came under air-borne attack from Japanese fighter bombers.  This was the first time that the Australian continent had been attacked in the war", Mrs Markus said.

"At 10.10am, 188 Japanese aircraft were launched against Darwin.  Two hours later a further 54 planes were despatched.  At the conclusion of the raid, the township of Darwin and military installations such as the RAAF Base had been extensively damaged.

"These two raids were the first of 64 similar raids on northern Australia.  Other air raids occurred on Broome, Townsville and Cairns throughout 1942.

"The memorial plaque in Darwin records that 290 people died in the raids.  A Commission of Inquiry in 1945 found that between 300 and 400 people were injured in the attack.

Mrs Markus said a War Cabinet Minute from 1942, labelled "Most Secret" and now held by the National Archives, outlined that 20 Australian aircraft were lost with enemy losses of "5 certain, 5 probable".  A number of ships were also sunk or damaged.

"The bombing of Darwin really did bring home to Australians the impact of war.  Until that point, Australians did feel relatively safe.  The air raids on northern Australia throughout 1942 were a vivid reminder of our vulnerability.

"Darwin remains today an important military city.  It is home to HQ NORCOM, Robertson Barracks, RAAF Darwin and HMAS Coonawarra.  Darwin is also an important centre for emergency medicine in the south-east Asian region and has rendered assistance to victims of natural and man-made disasters such as the Boxing Day Tsunami and the Bali Bombing.

"Today we will reconfirm the important role that Darwin continues to plays in Australia's national defence", Mrs Markus said.

RUDD MUST GUARANTEE SMALL BUSINESS PAYMENTS

Evidence from Austrade at last week’s Senate Additional Estimates hearings has revealed that small businesses face being denied of  at least $50 million for reimbursement of their export promotion activities, Shadow Trade Minister Warren Truss said today.

The Export Market Development ( EMDG) Scheme reimburses small and medium sized Australian businesses (SMEs) for up to 50% of expenses incurred on export promotion. Eighty per cent of claims are made by small businesses with turnover of less than $5 million.

Questioning of Austrade by Senator Alan Ferguson at Estimates revealed that:

• The budgeted amount for this year’s claims, after administration expenses, is $190.2 million.
• There has been a 15% increase in claim numbers, and a 20% increase in claim value, over last year’s expenditure on the scheme of $195 million.
• Austrade has so far paid or partially paid 3100 claims out of the 5150 claims lodged, at a cost of $113.01 million.
• The total value of claims lodged is $269 million.

Mr Truss said that the outcome for EMDG claims payable in 2010-11  that is for SMEs undertaking export promotion activities right now - will be even worse, as Labor’s budget for the Scheme falls to $150 million next year.

The EMDG Scheme is a capped program, so when the value of claims increases, the level of reimbursement goes down.

Mr Truss said that this calamity facing SMEs is a direct result of administrative incompetence and procrastination by Trade Minister Crean and the Rudd Labor Government.

Mr Crean expanded eligibility for the Scheme as an election promise but only provided increased funding for the 2009/10 financial year.

Mr Crean then commissioned David Mortimer to review the Scheme and released the Mortimer Report on 22 September 2008.  The Mortimer Report recommended that all the changesto the Scheme introduced by Mr Crean be reversed.  Mr Crean promised to respond to the recommendations by Christmas 2008.  More than 17 months later, Mr Crean remains silent.

Mr Truss said that the Prime Minister must now intervene and guarantee that EMDG grants will be paid in full in both the 2009/10 and 2010/11 years.

If Labor really wants to stimulate the economy, keeping faith with small business exporters will go a lot further than pink batts and school halls, Mr Truss concluded.

19 February 2010

HOMELESS PLEDGE AMOUNTS TO $33 PER HOMELESS PERSON PER YEAR

Today's announcement by Kevin Rudd in relation to homelessness is yet another political announcement designed for political capital rather than getting people off the streets.

"Kevin Rudd has clearly thought this one up overnight, designed for political outcomes rather than taking action to reduce homelessness," Opposition Housing spokesman Gary Humphries said today.

"On the Government's own projections, this amounts to only $33 per homeless person per year  not enough to buy a homeless person a roof over their head for one night, much less one year.

"This is hardly taking the matter seriously.

This is a token commitment which makes a mockery of any serious plan to halve homelessness by 2020.

"Why should we take the promise to halve homelessness any more seriously than the promise to fix hospitals by 2009, to have a computer on every student's desk or to turn back illegal boat arrivals? Especially when we take into account, by the Prime Minister’s own admission, homelessness has actually risen since making his pledge back in 2007. We have a Prime Minister using this issue for political advantage. We need real and practical solutions to combat homelessness and only a Coalition Government can achieve this," Senator Humphries concluded.