______________About Us
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An essential element of our aims is to protect our members and their families’ rights and entitlements under the various Commonwealth Acts.
We are recognized by Government as a major Ex-Service Organisation (ESO) because of our representation of RAR current service men and ex-servicemen and our combined strength of over 15,000 financial members and access to over 70,000 other eligible persons.
We will represent our views on matters that only effect our Association’s aims directly to Government and its agencies and indirectly through kindred ESOs: RSL, Defence Force Welfare Association (DFWA), Legacy and other representative bodies.
If you have any matter you believe threatens your entitlements, please let us know.
CAMPAIGN DONATIONS UPDATE AS AT 26 JULY
To date our Association’s appeal for donations “Dig Deep Diggers” has been encouraging with over $15K received. That added to the donations being received by our Campaign partners is looking good. However, we do need more to be able to fund the campaign’s promotion material and media costs of about $80K.
Donate Now - Dig Deep Diggers!
Ted Chitham
27 July 2010
THE 2010 FEDERAL ELECTION: THE "FAIR GO" INDEXATION CAMPAIGN
Between late July and the election on 21 August the DFWA will join with a number of other Ex Service Organisations in a campaign aimed at informing the electorate of the views of the major political parties on matters relating to indexation and Defence superannuation. You are invited to PARTICIPATE in the campaign .. read the Campaign Brochure here.
The following documents are available, and more will be added so keep watching.
Ted Chitham
22 July 2010
SUPPORT OUR ‘FAIR GO’ CAMPAIGN
All we want is a fair go! The RAR Association as a major partner in the Alliance of Service and Ex-Service Organisation is appealing to everyone in the whole Defence community of serving and former service men and women, and their families, to support our campaign for superannuation pension justice. We want the Government to remedy the unfair and discriminatory features of our military superannuation schemes, especially the grossly unfair indexation formula, and have the Opposition and other parties support us in their election policy platforms. We want the same indexation formula as the Age/Service pension so that our superannuation pension purchasing power is protected over time. SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN
THE ESO PARTNERSHIP “FAIR GO!” CAMPAIGN - UPDATE 3
Read the third of our Campaign's weekly updates here. Please circulate it widely
Ted Chitham
24 July 2010
THE ESO PARTNERSHIP “FAIR GO!” CAMPAIGN - UPDATE 2
Read the second of our Campaign's weekly updates here. Please circulate it widely
Ted Chitham
14 July 2010
THE ESO PARTNERSHIP “FAIR GO!” CAMPAIGN - UPDATE 1
Read the first of our Campaign's weekly updates here. Please circulate it widely
Ted Chitham
11 July 2010
LATEST NEWS: DEFENCE FORCE PENSIONERS THREATEN TO ABANDON LABOR
A coalition government would increase veteran pensions in a move to win the support of the veteran community. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and opposition defence and veterans spokespeople said the coalition would legislate for new indexation arrangements for Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Scheme (DFRDB) members as part of its commitment to supporting veterans and ex-service personnel. Mr Abbott said that from July 1, 2011 DFRDB members aged 55 years or older would have their military superannuation pensions raised by the greater increase of either the Consumer Price Index (CPI) male total average weekly earnings (MTAWE) or the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index (PBLCI).
28 Jun 10
PRESS RELEASE: DFWA WELCOMES THE COALITION UNDERTAKES TO REMOVE DISCRIMINATION IN ADF SUPERANNUATION INDEXATION ARRANGEMENTS
David Jamison the National President of the Defence Force Welfare Association has welcomed the announcement 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. Read the press release
FAIR GO: DIG DEEP DIGGERS! We need your donations to support the Campaign. George Mansford has given us the Fund's Appeal slogan - DIG DEEP DIGGERS!. We need about $80,000: which we aim to get from donations and other revenue raising means. All donations will be receipted, (unfortunately not tax deductible). Please donate!
Ted Chitham
27 Jun 10
PRESS RELEASE: DFWA WELCOMES THE OFFER TO WORK WITH ESOs
The DFWA, along with its other Ex-Service Organisations (ESO) partners, welcomes the Government’s offer to work with ESOs to determine the best long term method for indexing military superannuation pensions. Read the press release
Ted Chitham
11 Jun 10
NEWS: VETS LEFT BEHIND IN MILITARY SUPER FIGHT
Port Macquarie veteran Bill Lord, 93, says it is unfair that military superannuation pensions increase more slowly than other government-supported schemes like age and welfare pensions. Read the news item
MILITARY SUPERANNUATION PENSIONS - PETITION
The graphic below is a link to a petition being promoted by Senator Steve Fielding on the issue of the gross unfairness of the current indexation arrangements for Military Superannuation Pensions.
This is an opportunity to have your say and show the Government and all political parties the strength of our concern.
Ted Chitham
28 May 2010
Our Association has an Alliance with the Defence Force Welfare Association (DFWA) in Military Superannuation and other major advocacy issues. This allows us to contribute to and endorse their submissions to Government if necessary while retaining our own independence to make our own submissions. On the subject of Military Superannuation we are in full agreement with the DFWA.
DFWA: WHAT'S NEW & CURRENT ISSUES
DFWA: MONTHLY UPDATE - 20 JULY 2010
DFWA: MONTHLY UPDATE - 17 JUNE 2010
DFWA: MONTHLY UPDATE - 17 MAY 2010
DFWA: MONTHLY UPDATE - 17 APRIL 2010
DFWA: MONTHLY UPDATE - 17 MARCH 2010
DFWA: MONTHLY UPDATE - 18 - 25 FEBRUARY 2010
WHAT IS IT WE SEEK? Quite simply, indexation of your pension using the SAME formula that applies to Aged and Service Pensions. Why should you be treated differently … and why should you have your standard of living continually deteriorate? Remember you contributed to your superannuation during your working years!
DFWA WEBSITE: ALL ABOUT THE MILITARY SUPERANNUATION PENSIONS ISSUE
The Government announced on 21 August 2009 that it would refuse to provide for ADF families in retirement by adequately indexing their superannuation pensions. The Matthews Report - conveniently released the day Parliament went into recess - blandly recommends that military superannuation schemes continue to be indexed by the CPI. The Government has refused to provide ADF superannuants with adequate protection against cost of living increases despite: Six parliamentary inquiries either recommending military superannuation pensions be better indexed or reflecting on the current arrangements; & The Australian Bureau of Statistics openly stating that the CPI simply does not reflect the cost of living.
RELATED SITES:
The following sites provide further information on this matter:
http://militarysuperannuation.for-our.info/
The RAR Association with the DFWA will continue to campaign on your behalf on this important issue - but we need your help.
Please read our Action Plan to see what you can do.
RARA & DFWA - Looking after your interests
The Royal Australian Regiment Association recently joined the Defence Force Welfare Association (DFWA) at the national level. Our two Associations are now working to build closer links between DFWA State Branches and the RARA State and Battalion Associations. The main advantage in doing this is that we can align our interests and cut out duplication of effort in those areas where our interests overlap, without in any way reducing the independence of either organization. DFWA lobbies politicians, Government Ministers and Departments, and the Australian Defence Force on issues that affect the serving and ex-serving men and women of the ADF.
READ THE ARTICLE
CONTACT DFWA IN YOUR STATE/TERRITORY
Ted Chitham
Updated: 19 May 2010
