I have included a link on the Links page to the Just a Fair Go website that is fighting the battle for us ex military/DFRBF members.

OBJECTIVE……..TO WIN THE BATTLE FOR A FAIR GO
for all members of the Defence Community

In this website you will find numerous articles relating to the issues surrounding fair indexation for military superannuants, including videos, podcasts, letters to politicians and a “shame file”. It will include a place for you to add your own comments, on any of the topics. It will also include links to other relevant websites. The site is still being developed and more information will be added, as it comes to hand.

Your comments are important and will provide an excellent forum for your messages to reach others.

Go to the Links page and visit. .(Main menu on the LHS)

THE ESO PARTNERSHIP

“FAIR GO!” CAMPAIGN

UPDATE 1/2010 - 5th JULY 2010

This is the first of our weekly updates

Our Want is for the Government to remedy the unfair and discriminatory features of our military superannuation schemes (DFRDB and MSBS), especially its grossly unfair indexation formula, by giving us the same indexation formula as the Age/Service pension so that our superannuation pension purchasing power is protected over time.

Read our report,

AND We want the Opposition, and other parties, to support us in their election policy platforms and when in government to legislate the change.

PROGRESS We have presented our case to many Federal MPs, particularly those in the marginal seats, through letters and personal visits from ex-servicemen and their families, and given in personal briefings to Ministers, Shadow Ministers and Senators willing to accept our representation. The PM, unlike the Leader of the Opposition, has yet to accept a meeting with us.

The Government’s response to date has been to accept steadfastly the Matthews’ Report recommendation that our “superannuation schemes continue to be indexed by the CPI as the most suitable index to protect pensions against inflationary price increases available at this time”. And they say that it is too costly to implement.

So it’s a NO from them.

The Opposition has now publicly announced in its Statement of the 26th June that from 1 July 2011, under a Coalition Government, DFRB/DFRDB members aged 55 years or over will have their superannuation pensions indexed in the same manner as Age and Service pensions.

In releasing this Statement the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Tony Abbott, acknowledged that this was a matter of fundamental justice and the time had come for it to be fixed.

Read their Media Release here.

Although this is a major breakthrough it still leaves the current MSBS superannuates on the now discarded CPI formula. This is a disappointment to us and serving ADF members of MSBS.

Read the DFWA’s response here.

We will continue to seek this exclusion removed from the Coalition’s policy. Our defence family’s efforts to raise the matter at government, parliamentary and marginal electorate levels have been successful.

At the parliamentary level, support from Robert Oakeshott’s (MP Lynne) Notice of Motion to the House on 24th May 2010 and Michael Johnson’s (MP Ryan) House Adjournment speech on 23rd June 2010 have highlighted the matter through Hansard to the nation.

Senator Steve Fielding has been vocal in his support for fairness in our superannuation schemes and has placed an online petition on his web page

This has drawn a pleasing response with in excess of 13,800 signatures so far: we urge you to register now.

During the Oakeshott Motion debate in the House, Mr. Hayes (MP Werriwa) said: “…..the government is committed to considering a better indexation method for civilian and military superannuation pensions. Again, that is one of the recommendations that we accepted from the Matthews inquiry.

I take the opportunity to encourage veterans’ associations to work with government to determine the best long-term method for indexing military superannuation pensions.” Taking up that encouragement, the DFWA wrote to the Minister for Defence Personnel and, in its press release here welcomed the Government’s stated commitment to work with ESOs (plural) to determine the best long-term method for indexing military superannuation pensions.

DFWA looks forward to hearing what the Government now intends to do and how they may be able to work with the Government to progress this important and long standing matter. To date there has been no response from the Government to our offer of support!

Our campaign has gained momentum and its focus will now extend to the marginal electorates where we will educate and encourage the voters to support our “Fair Go!” campaign. We will continue to seek a meeting with the PM.

Perhaps PM Gillard will be more accepting of the status and representative strength of our ESO partnership within the defence family and will talk with us.

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN

You can help in three ways, with:

1. Donations-Dig Deep Diggers! The campaign is being funded from donations and other revenue raising means. All donations will be receipted - unfortunately they are not tax deductible.

• Donors’ names, but not their amounts, will be published on our web site If you don’t want your name published then please tell us.

• Thank you to those who have donated.

• Unused funds will be donated to veterans and veterans’ families care facility.

Donations can be made by:

• Cash to your RARA State or Unit Association, or

• Cheque or Money Order posted to: The RAR Association National. Enoggera Mail Centre Gallipoli Barracks Enoggera, Qld 4051, or

• Bank transfer to The RAR Association National Account

BSB: 064 140

Account Number: 10138062

Reference: Fair Go, and email your name, date and amount to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

2. Volunteer assistance to our State/Territory Action Groups (STAGs) or Local Action Groups (LAGs) established within your electorate.

Register at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and name your electorate.

3. Spreading the word to your family, warrior mates and friends.

Encourage all to register to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it so we can keep them informed of the Campaign’s progress.

Ted Chitham and Kel Ryan

RARA Campaign Director and DFWA Campaign Director

The Queensland RAR Association and the Defence Force Welfare Association are conducting a campaign leading up to the Federal election with the aim of adjusting anomalies that exist within the military DFRB and DFRBF superannuation payment  They intend to approach the candidates in each marginal federal seat to point out these anomalies and to request they undertake to address them.

They have asked that we approach our members who may wish to volunteer their time to put up their hand.

The RAR Campaign Director,Ted Chitham has distributed the following as an explanation

In seeking their support (our members) I suggest you explain the importance of the matter to our military family, even though it may not have a direct impact on them personally (There are nationally 64,000 persons currently receiving military superannuation payments, and over 180,000 receiving a disability payment = 244.000 people) .

As George Mansford says "this is our mob and we care for each other". This is our chance to stand up and be counted on to assist not as rebel rousers but as outlined in the duties document.

To those who do not want to be involved because they believe we are conducting a political campaign I say:

• The ESOs are not political parties.

 

• They are issues based organisations that ADVOCATE (definition: to support or speak in favour of something ) matters on behalf of "their family" where they will speak out on those that are unfair and unjust. Each person can determine their own circumstance and what the alleged unfairness means to them and their widow and/or dependents. In this campaign there are four issues:

• Military Superannuation

   

  • Indexation formula CPI that is unfair and is denying all superannuates at least $30/fn

   

  • Tax on our superannuation payments (a rebate of 10% is allowed) when no tax is applied to civilian superannuation payments over aged 60

   

  • Unfair MSBS maximum benefits limits (MBLs) which means less superannuation payments

   

  • Out of date life tables in calculating commutation and fortnightly payments which means less payments

   

  • Inequitable reversionary rate of 63% of our superannuation payments paid on our death to our spouse compared to Federal politicians (pre 2004 Scheme) whose spouses receive 84%

 

• Disability pension indexation not being aligned as promised by Government , which means less payments .

 

• Military compensation, and

 

• Health matters related to mental health, accommodation needs and support including financial aid to carers

• By necessity we have to work within the political realm to influence the government and Parliament of the day at the legislative level and at the electorate level with voters to accept our representations and to correct what we believe are real problems to our family.

 

• We do not support any political party nor do we tell people how to vote. We simply present the issue as a comparison of each party's electoral platform on that issue alone.

 

• The voters' decision at the ballot box is theirs alone to make on the basis of what they believe is right for themselves, their family, their country and their future. What I ask from your Association in Qld is to provide me with names of people (it can be a family member) who are willing to join the LAG in a support and/or leader role to promote our objectives. All supporting promotional matter will be provided and the group will work as a Team .