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When advocacy issues and matters of local interest that influence the achievement of the Queensland State Association’s and Unit RAR Association’s aims arise, you will find details here.
Introduction The Ex- Service Organisations listed on the previous page (APPVA; Australian Federation of TPI’s; Australian SAS Assn; DFWA; DRA; DFA; Legacy; Naval Assn; Partners of Veterans Australia; RAAF Assn; RAR Assn; VVAA; VVFA; War Widows Guild) believe that the community’s appreciation of the special and unique nature of Defence Service has been allowed to deteriorate. There is a grave concern at the progressive move to see service conditions for Australian Defence Force members benchmarked against community standards and veterans support as welfare. Service in the ADF comes with a cost not just to the individual service member but their dependants as well. Government and Departments have a leadership role in ensuring that the community clearly appreciates that servicemen and women and their families deserve special recognition reflecting their contribution to the service of our Nation. ADF serving and former members expect that the conditions under which they enlist and serve will be honoured. Serving ADF members expect that there will be no reduction of benefits, and that Government’s clear obligation to servicemen and women will be met. There is a growing understanding that over time, successive Governments have fallen well short of meeting their responsibility to the individual members of the Australian Defence Force and their dependants. The serving and former ADF Members and Veteran communities’ principal concerns are outlined in the following sections of this paper, noting that there are several particular elements to each. Many of the issues listed are examples where the “unique nature of military service” rather than being recognised and compensated for is in fact being used to create an additional detriment and burden for ADF personnel. As well as the organisations listed as contributors to this paper, the Australian Veterans and Defence Services Council (AVADSC) (which is compiling a similar set of proposals), has been closely involved in its development and is supportive of the proposals contained in it. We are also cognisant and supportive of the issues contained in the Legacy “Wish List” forwarded to the Department of Veteran Affairs on the 10th September. The issues are grouped into those where we believe attention in the shorter term is warranted and those that may require a longer term to fully develop an appropriate government response. In formulating this paper, we have been mindful of the existing economic conditions and their consequent effect on the Commonwealth Government financial outlook over the next four years. However, we also note the recent spending programs of the Government and the absence of any initiative to address the long standing deficiencies in ADF service conditions that are the principle concerns of the veterans and wider ex-service communities. Members of the ADF rely on the Government for fair and equitable treatment in their service conditions in a way that is unique within the Australian community. We are firmly of the opinion that this expectation is not being matched by government policies and decisions. By its continued neglect of its responsibilities, the Government is placing an unfair burden on former ADF members to bear the consequences of its policy decisions in a way not imposed on other sections of the Australian community. Ted Chitham 10 December 2009
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Retirees accuse Govt of 'betrayal' BY PHILIP DORLING, NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT Some 500 retired public servants and Defence Force members condemned as a ''betrayal'' yesterday the Federal Government's decision not to boost public service and military pension schemes. But in a letter issued yesterday, Federal Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner bluntly rejected calls to increase public service and military superannuation beyond rises in the consumer price index. ''The Government has no plans to move away from the CPI for indexing the pensions of Commonwealth superannuants,'' Mr Tanner wrote in a letter sent to ACT Labor Senator Kate Lundy on October 22 and issued by her late yesterday. Mr Tanner was a no-show at yesterday's combined meeting of the Superannuated Commonwealth Officers Association and the Defence Force Welfare Association that vowed to continue to campaign for fairer pension indexation in line with increases in the married rate of age pension. Mr Tanner had been invited to address the packed meeting at the Ainslie Football Club to justify the Government's decision to renege on an election promise to boost public service and military pensions and to instead accept a recommendation by economist Trevor Matthews to continue to use the CPI to index public service and defence superannuation. Mr Tanner didn't attend the meeting, sending a junior staffer instead. Mr Tanner had, however, undertaken to meet members of the association. Vice-president of the superannuated officers association, Annette Barbetti, dismissed Professor Matthews' review as ''a cut and paste effort with the fingerprints of [the Department of Finance and Deregulation] all over it''. The Government's decision directly affects about 300,000 Australians, including more than 40,000 in the Canberra region. Over the past 20 years, Federal MP's pensions have increased by 130 per cent and the aged pension has risen by 110 per cent. However, public service and military pensions have increased by only 70 per cent. Labor MPs Mike Kelly, Bob McMullan and Annette Ellis and Senator Lundy wrote to Mr Tanner last month, saying that the Government had ''abandoned the spirit of the election commitment to a review that would address the inadequacy and inequality of the indexation method''. Senator Lundy told the meeting she had arranged for a delegation from the two associations to meet Mr Tanner, but she only issued the minister's letter rejecting any change to indexation arrangements some hours after yesterday's meeting. 10 November 2009 |
The Recommendations Recommendation 1: That pensions from the Australian Government civilian and military superannuation schemes continue to be indexed against the effects of inflationary price increases. Recommendation 2: That the same indexation methodology continue to apply to all civilian and military pensions. Recommendation 3: That pensions from the Australian Government civilian and military 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. Recommendation 4: That, if a robust index which reflects the price inflation experience of superannuants better than the CPI becomes available in the future, the Australian Government should consider its use for indexing Australian Government civilian and military superannuation pensions. "I acknowledge that the CPI is a measure of inflation for Australian households as a whole, and therefore may not represent the on-average experience of a particular sub‑group. I therefore also considered whether an alternative index would better represent the experience of superannuants. The Analytical Living Cost Index (ALCI) for self‑funded retirees is the only available relevant alternative index. However, comparison of the CPI with that index over the last 10 years suggests that, if trends continue, indexation by this measure would not make any practical difference over time and may disadvantage retirees in the short term. Consequently, I consider that the CPI should be retained as the basis for indexation, unless it becomes clear that there is a better measure of changes in the cost of living for superannuants." Mr Trevor Mathews |
A summary of the new Federal Government’s Plan for Veterans’ Affairs is presented here in an Actions List format for easier monitoring of its implementation and completion dates. The complete document can be viewed here The Labor government's delivery of its election promises for veterans - update 28 September 2008 |
The following is a report from the DFWA on its meeting. “The DFWA recently made a submission and gave evidence to the Federal Government’s review on the indexation methods for Commonwealth superannuation schemes which is being conducted by Mr Trevor Matthews. An Australian, Mr. Matthews is now a prominent actuary in the UK. His career has been in the insurance and banking areas.” (The RAR Association endorsed the DFWA’s joint submission with RSL, NAA and RAAFA) Read the complete article here 6 August 2008 |
You will be aware of our 60th Anniversary Project to record a bibliography of all material (printed (books -published and unpublished, magazines, journals, pictorials, audio recordings-CDs, audio/visual presentations, films, videos, DVDs etc), applicable to the RAR's history. We are now able to share the results of our search by operational theatres with you and ask that you check them to identify any material that we have missed. Over the next month we will post each theatre list. Below is the first item. Please provide the details of any reference in the same recorded format to Darcy Dugan (Email: darcydugan@hotmail.com or telephone (07) 3882 1331). Thank you for your assistance: it will be greatly appreciated. Ted Chitham 6 July 2008 |
The Government has announced yet another inquiry into Military superannuation indexation. It has coupled it with an inquiry into indexation of the Superannuation of Public Servants. John Graham's full article can be viewed here 8 July 2008 |
The 2008 Federal Budget raised the eligibility age for the Partner Service Pension and removed eligibility for separated spouses. Read the letter submitted to the Minister signed jointly by the National Presidents of Partners of Veterans Association, Vietnam Veterans Federation, & T&PI Federation. 10 July 2008 |
Investigation of Reported Erosion of Veterans’ Entitlements |
The RAR Association’s investigation and report into the application of the DVA’s Treatment Principles in South Australia as it applies to a particular matter surrounding hydrotherapy treatment for PTSD sufferers, notably Ed Czerwinski, has been completed. The Czerwinski affair received nation-wide media exposure and together with many individuals and organizations forced the Government to review the matter and to reverse DVA’s previous unfavourable decision. We believe that the RAR Association South Australia, effort and determination to right a wrong was a major factor in this successful result. The investigation also highlighted a number of other issues: The Report is now in the hands of each State RAR Associations for their consideration to determine if there are similar situations and issues. The Queensland Association will be conducting a workshop on the matter for RAR Unit Association’s Presidents and Welfare Officers. It will encompass a wider view of past and present servicepersons’ concerns with DVA’s policies, treatment principles and procedures. Members are invited to advise our Welfare officer, Ross Langford, (email rosslangford@optusnet.com.au) of any matters of concern that they have experienced and any recommendations arising from it. 15 March 2007 |
| RAR ASSOCIATION (NATIONAL) BIBLIOGRAPHY PROJECT |
The RAR Association’s (National) Strategic Plan 2007 details its Vision, Mission, Aims, Strategies, Objectives and Corporate Plan. Well this short ‘Soldier's five’ is only about Objective 8: To foster and develop for historical purposes the recording and maintenance of the Regiment's History. There was a belief that the Regiment’s history has been recorded officially, through such books as Duty First edited by David Horner and published in 1990, Unit Operational Tour Books and other biographical and autobiographical matter and many articles in magazines, and that they were centrally recorded and held ‘somewhere’. Our attempts to locate ‘somewhere’ have failed. We have concluded that to achieve this Objective, we need to record a bibliography of all material (printed, audio, visual), applicable to the RAR’s past present and future. To do this a small committee has been formed (Terry Dinneen, ‘Darcy’ Dugan, Ted Chitham, Ian Kuring and Mick Malone) and has commenced work in assembling the bibliography. Over 500 items, excluding magazines, have so far been identified and the process of organizing them in an easy reference format is underway. Certainly, all the applicable material has not been identified yet and a good deal of cross checking is still required. A copy of our current working spreadsheet is available on request to those wanting to assist our search for material. Our search will encompass, books, magazines, journals, diaries (published and unpublished) audio recordings, films, stamps, music, etc We plan to have Edition 1 of the Bibliography reference document ready for release at the Regiment’s 60th Anniversary celebrations in November 2008. Source: Ted Chitham 13 February 2007 |
| RSL - Kindred Organisations' Committee (KOC) |
The RSL is recognised by the Commonwealth Government as the Veterans' community peak ex-servicemen’s' organisation (ESO). Part of this recognition is the belief that the RSL, through its established KOC at national and state levels, represented the views of most veterans. The KOC's have provided a successful forum for ESOs' views to be considered and to influence RSL advocacy policies related to veterans' affairs. Sadly, in Queensland the KOC is defunct: it has not met since 2002 thereby denying us the opportunity to be heard at the direct and upper level of RSL governance. Representations to the Doug Formby the newly elected RSL Queensland State President have been successful in re-establishing the KOC Qld in August 2006. Doug identified the need as necessary to re-establish supportive relationships with the Queensland based ESOs. The KOC comprises State representatives from the RSL, TPI Association, VVFA, VVAA, Partners of Veterans (PVA) RAAFA the Navy League and the RAR Association: other ESOs will be invited to join. The RSL Deputy State President, Kel Ryan, is the Chairman. Kel comes with a detailed knowledge of the ESO community having successfully completed his Master Degree writing his thesis on the RSL and the reasons for the proliferation of ESOs in recent years. Its purpose is to establish positive and workable links with the major ESO’s, to understand their issues of concern and to determine the need for co-ordinated action. In identifying and defining the major issues it is recognized that: It has identified the following issues (not prioritized) for detailed consideration: The next meeting is on the 2nd February. Progress will be reported regularly. As the RAR Association’s representative I am pleased with the desire of all members to support the KOC. Ted Chitham |
Last Updated: 10 November 2009
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