Emails To Politicians

[Banjo]

To Local Member

Dear Ms Ellis
I am somewhat dismayed with today's news story announcing that people receiving the Disability Pension will face heavy restrictions on their international travel.

I feel that the money pensioners receive should be there's to spend as they like as long as no Australian law is breached.

The penalisation of less than 800 people is laughable, this is a direct attack on a soft target that will benefit the government in no way. Pensioners will continue to be paid if they stay at home,

Regards,

Dear Mr xxxxxx

Thank you for your enquiry.

The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin MP, and the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services, the Hon Bill Shorten MP, released a joint statement on Sunday regarding this issue. I have attached a copy for your information.

The release talks about how the Government “will crack down on people on the Disability Support Pension (DSP) who live permanently overseas but return to Australia every 13 weeks in order to retain their pension”

It goes on to say “The changes will not affect DSP recipients who need to leave Australia temporarily, only those who choose to no longer permanently live in Australia… The 13 week temporary absence rule will remain to allow DSP recipients to legitimately travel overseas for short periods”

So while there will be a greater scrutiny of those who regularly travel, the changes will only impact on those who are living permanently overseas. These changes are expected to save the taxpayer around $3million per year when fully operational.

I hope that this information helps to clarify the issue for you. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Kindest regards

[Banjo]

Email to the Disability Action Queensland (DAQ).

Hi there,
I'm trying to organise some support for Disability Support Pensioners who wish to spend time outside of Australia.
To me, and others in my situation it seems to be the victimisation of a very small group of Australians.
Why should Pensioners have to account for how they spend the benefit they are entitled to?
I'd be pleased to hear the thoughts of your organisation on this subject.
I enclose a link to a recent news item on this topic.

www.couriermail.com.au/money/welfare-loophole-allows-disability-pensioners-to-go-on-permanent-vacation/story-e6freqoo-1225846381856

Please note the more than 100 comments on this, most of them supportive to pensioners.
I enclose a link to a message board I've formed that may be of interest to any of your members effected by the changes,

dspoverseas.proboards.com/index.cgi

Regards,

[Banjo]

Bill Shorten MP
Parliamentary Secretary For Disability Services.
www.aph.gov.au/house/members/member.asp?id=ATG

Dear Mr Shorten,
I refer to the press release "New residency rules for Disability Support Pensioners" released 28/3/2010.

As a Disabled Pensioner of 62 years I probably spend more time overseas than the law changes will be prepared to allow me.
Mr Shorten, what does it really matter? If I stay in Australia I’ll still be paid the pension. I’ll also apply for Rent allowance, spend a leisurely afternoon at a bulk billing doctor once a week, get my medication through the concession card rather than buy it over the counter like I do overseas… how’s your savings looking now?

This is my money, I worked and paid taxes for this, and the anti working class drive for tax cuts and reduced government spending that seems to be a key stone of all political parties electoral campaigns these days is directed against people like me.

I am currently organising a group of concerned Australians, so with an election coming up I hope you can find time to reconsider the move.
I respectfully await your reply,

[Banjo]

Apr 5, 2010 13:51:35 GMT 7 Banjo said:

Email to the Disability Action Queensland (DAQ).

Hi there,
I'm trying to organise some support for Disability Support Pensioners who wish to spend time outside of Australia.
To me, and others in my situation it seems to be the victimisation of a very small group of Australians.
Why should Pensioners have to account for how they spend the benefit they are entitled to?
I'd be pleased to hear the thoughts of your organisation on this subject.
I enclose a link to a recent news item on this topic.

www.couriermail.com.au/money/welfare-loophole-allows-disability-pensioners-to-go-on-permanent-vacation/story-e6freqoo-1225846381856

Please note the more than 100 comments on this, most of them supportive to pensioners.
I enclose a link to a message board I've formed that may be of interest to any of your members effected by the changes,

dspoverseas.proboards.com/index.cgi

Regards,

A Quick Response

I hear your frustration and this is a situation where one has to see both sides of the story.

Have you contacted the Welfare Rights at all? They www.welfarerights.org.au can represent people who have been rejected unfairly by Centrelink and they have produced some great brochures (e.g. www.welfarerights.org.au/Shared%20Documents/Get%20paid%20not%20penalised.pdf )

We wish you all the best

Louise Lowe,
Founder Member,
Disability Action Queensland

[Banjo]

Nice letter, I think most people would be moved by it, unfortunately most politicians aren't like other people.

Another board user has, or will have, a child living outside Australia. I think both of you need to think carefully on how this can be used to your advantage. When you go back to Australia make sure you have documentation of the child's birth naming you as the father.
Should you tell Centrelink you are in a relationship they will almost certainly reduce your pension to half the married rate, a considerable reduction. You may need to think about whether you want to live in Asia on that or stay in Australia on the full single pension for a while.

I'm going to try to contact someone who works for Welfare rights in Australia who helped me last year and run this past him. Or you could try ringing this organisation in your home state yourself before you leave. The phone numbers are on the link I provided on the board.
Be careful what you say about being in a relationship, just talk about the child and your right to visitation in Asia.

[Banjo]

Busy morning, sent this off to The Age, The Herald Sun and Peter Dutton, the Shadow Minister for Health and Aging.

April 6, 2010

Dear Sir,
I’d like to point out a clear mathematical error in the Government’s media release; New Residency Rules For Disability support Pensioners.

Ms Macklin claims she will save three million dollars by tightening up the amount of time Disability Support Pensioners can spend over seas.

How is this so? Does she think they will abandon the pension en masse therefore saving the Government the money?
Surely a more likely scenario is that the all pour back into the country, put in a claim for rent allowance, put their prescriptions on their concession cards, spend at least one day a week at a bulk bill doctor… am I up to another three million a year yet? Plus continue to collect their pension.

I’m I so much dumber than a politician that I’m missing something here? We’re not talking about protecting people defrauding Centrelink, a pox on all their houses, but where is the logic in punishing all DSP recipients to catch a few? Isn’t this what the Nazis did? Shoot a hundred people for ever soldier killed by partisans?

What does it matter if DSP pensioners come and go as they please? What’s wrong with them having a little time in the sun? Have you seen the price of a winter holiday in Queensland recently?

Banjo
Somewhere in Asia.

[Banjo]

[e-mail] ..... Liberal Party Shadow Minister for Health and Aging
[e-mail] .....Sunday Herald Sun
[e-mail] .....The Age
[e-mail] .....Disability Action Queensland
[e-mail] .....Senator Nick Xenaphon (Independant)

MPs here.... www.aph.gov.au/house/members/mi-alpha.asp
And Senators here.... www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/index.htm
Shadow Ministers.... www.aph.gov.au/library/parl/42/shadow/index.htm
And who's who in parliament.... www.aph.gov.au/whoswho/index.htm

[Banjo]

Reply from Senator Xenaphon today.

Dear banjo

Thank you for your email to Nick Xenophon and I apologise for the delay in responding to you. Nick has asked me to respond on his behalf.

I note your concerns regarding changes to the Disability Support Pension. Nick will request a briefing from the Government to enable him to better understand the amendments proposed.

Thank you for taking the time to write to Nick Xenophon.

Kind regards,


Amanda Whitehead

Adviser and Manager of Constituent Issues

to Nick Xenophon

Independent Senator for South Australia | Level 2 / 31 Ebenezer Place, Adelaide 5000 | T: 08 8232 1144 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              08 8232 1144      end_of_the_skype_highlighting | F: 08 8232 3744 | www.nickxenophon.com.au/

Xenaphon is an independant Senator, might be a good idea for all you South Aussies to start hassling him now.
(I've met Amanda, she's cute... )

[Banjo]

He's a Greek, how many Greeks do you think are sunning themselves in the Mediterranean on the DSP right now?
Get stuck into him.

[Banker]

Apr 6, 2010 3:13:24 GMT 7 @ruddthedudd said:

I too have sent an email off this morning. Sad but true..

Dear Sir

As the new legislation recently drafted on DSP recipients seems to affect me I would like some clarification.

I receive a DSP due to genetic condition that caused rapid and irreversible damage to my eyes resulting in permanent blindness in one eye and about 15% vision in my other, it is still getting worse and will eventually also be permanently blind.

During my working career I believe I was an exceptionally hard worker entering the workforce at age 13 and continuing until my condition took over. Working 70+ hours a week was commonplace. Remember what you did for your 21st birthday?

I do, I worked a 7 day, 10 hours a day week so did nothing spectacular.

Anyway, I worked hard and enjoyed a reasonable lifestyle. Unfortunately, that came to an end when my eyesight began to interfere with my workplace quality as well as health and safety. I saw myself (excuse the pun) becoming unemployable and there was nothing I could do about it. Knowing that your dreams of a decent life are about to end is a crushing experience that I wouldn't wish on anyone.

I struggled on the DSP for 12 months or so in Australia selling my possessions in order to maintain some dignity in what was becoming a very lonesome lifestyle. With failing eyes I lost everything I enjoyed. No TV, no books, no football. My friends were getting married so drifting away. I couldn't enjoy myself, could not go out as I never had any spare money and could obviously not drive nor use public transport unaided. I became a recluse, drifting into alcoholism to relieve the boredom of doing nothing. I became suicidal, I really had nothing to live for.

On advice from my family to try and get some interest in life again, I sold some more possessions and I scraped enough cash together to fund a 3 month trip through South East Asia. This aqction saved my life, it gave me reason to go on, it gave me passion. My sight was lost but my other senses were heightened. I began wanting to experience different cultures, taste new foods and try to enjoy life. We only get the one.

Two days after returning from my holiday I booked a 2nd and flew out 2 days later. It has been a 13 week cycle going on more than 5 years now that has restored my faith in life. Given back my dignity and enabled me to be a better person. I never saw the 13 week limit as a loophole, I just presumed it was so the Commonwealth government was making sure the recipient was still alive. Keeping track so to speak.

I now have a 2 and a half year old son in South East Asia and a daughter on the way. With the new legislation I will not be able to provide for them and 2 young Australians will suffer. I will lose contact with them as I will be imprisoned in Australia. This outcome I cannot live with. If centrelink does prohibit my travel so I cannot be with and support my children the consequences on my mental health will be dire. My dreams are yet again about to come to an end. I do not know what will happen but sadly I think my suicidal tendencies of years ago may reappear.

Why is the Australian government attacking the disabled?
Why was something OK last week but now considered (by the government, not by the majority of the people) wrong?
Do you have children? If so, what if a government decision would cease your means of being able not only to see them but to feed and clothe them?
Do you know anyone who is permanently incapable of work?
Can you answer if I will be refused permission to leave Australia after I return next time? If so, should I refund my air tickets and put that little bit of money to better use?

Please read my email and please answer my questions. I would really like to receive a prompt reply.

Thanks
xxxx on DSP in South East Asia.

Mate, That is a great letter. Send it off to Every News Paper in Australia, as a letter to the editor and let the people of Australia see what the Govt is doing to Australians on DSP and push the word "Discrimination" because in my opinion that is exactly what the Govt is doing.

Cheers Banker

[Banjo]

You're a champion!
I wrote letter to Macklin and emailed it to a mate who'll print it and post it tonight.