Moncrieff Media

Gold Coast pensioners feel the pinch at local supermarkets

20 August 2008

Gold Coast pensioners are struggling at the check-out, said Federal Member for Moncrieff Steven Ciobo, who has vowed to fight for their rights.

The Government’s Pension Review shows almost 80 per cent of the population aged over 65 receives a full or part Age Pension.

The Gold Coast is home to more than 67,000 people aged over 65.

Mr Ciobo said pensioners received a single pension rate of $546.80 a fortnight making it hard for them to make ends meet with high petrol prices and grocery costs.

“There’s no denying Gold Coast pensioners are doing it tough,” Mr Ciobo said.

“A lot of local pensioners have very little amounts of private income on top of the pension, making those little luxuries a thing of the past, when necessities like petrol and groceries are so high.

“A basket of staples costs Gold Coasters somewhere between $60 and $80, while fuel has gone up 30 cents a litre since the election of Kevin Rudd.  The PM doesn’t seem to be doing much to bring prices down.

 “Kevin Rudd went to the election promising to lower fuel and grocery prices and put downward pressure on inflation, but the exact opposite has happened since he became Prime Minister.

“Mr Rudd misled Australians at the election.

“The Coalition will continue to fight for Gold Coast pensioners and retirees. When the Coalition was in power, the pension rate increased two percent above inflation, every year, over 10 years.

“The Coalition also introduced one off payments to pensioners plus pension bonuses.”

The government’s Pension Review Paper was released on 11 August, but Labor will not respond until the end of 2009, meaning pensioners will have to wait until 2010 for any action.

“It appears Gold Coast pensioners will have to wait another two years for any action from the Rudd Labor Government, which is simply not good enough,” Mr Ciobo said.

“The Rudd Labor Government needs to take action now and not wait for yet another review that won’t report back until the end of 2009.”

Mr Ciobo said he is also concerned for small independent supermarkets.

The mandatory unit pricing scheme Labor is planning to introduce, will force supermarkets to display the unit prices of grocery products sold by measure, weight or volume.

“Mr Rudd’s mandatory unit pricing scheme will not bring prices down. It is nothing but a stunt and the cost of implementing such a scheme would be passed on to local consumers,” Mr Ciobo said.

“Gold Coast small businesses have enough to comply with without further red tape.

“Labor is refusing to exempt small independent retailers from unit pricing, leaving a dark cloud hanging over the heads of local independent grocers, competing in tough economic times.”