Bridget McKenzie, Bendigo based Nationals Senator for Victoria, says Labor must rule out making any retrospective changes to superannuation.
“We can’t allow Julia Gillard to raid the individual retirement savings of residents in Bendigo as a way of trying to cover up her budget black hole”, Senator McKenzie said.
“As Simon Crean has said, Labor shouldn’t be dipping into our savings to pay for their spending. It makes no sense that people who are doing the right thing and preparing for their retirement are having their savings raided by a government that doesn’t live within its means,” Senator McKenzie said.
Senator McKenzie has already spoken to a range of people on this issue, and is meeting with the Independent Retirees Association in Horsham next week to hear their concerns.
“When I have talked with local nurses, tradies, and small business owners, they tell me they are concerned about a government that feels it can dip its hand into their retirement savings.
“We all have to put in to our super funds and we do so knowing the rules. To make retrospective changes is to destroy confidence in super. The danger is – if Labor can get away with this once, they will try it again after the election. We can’t let Labor destroy public confidence in super.
“Labor has already cut the amount that can be contributed to super and raised more than $8 billion in revenue from superannuation – and now they are coming back for more.
“With Labor now paying $7 billion a year in interest on their debt you can be guaranteed that a re-elected Labor government will continue to raid regional Australians’ superannuation accounts for many years to come.”