MILSUPER - How we sat idly by...

7 Mar 10

Some folks have told me that my feedback page does not work... indeed they are correct

I've changed the hyperlink from someone@microsoft.com to me at admin@bobnoxious.org... but then again my email addresses are on the homepage

Feedback would normally be done by a webbot where the server my website resides has the Frontpage Server Extensions it requires to run and in this case it does not

I'll respond to any constructive feedback - but my feelings are that I do not wish to push my website into a Lundy-ish (read Luddite-ish) forum where any and all can post their comments and then return to their armchair thinking they have done their share... NO ! - this website preaches direct action and urges you to leave the relative safety of your armchairs

Anything else will doom you and the veteran community to a beggar's banquet of ever decreasing superannuation and to do nothing is something that we as diggers cannot tolerate

3 March 10

Copy of mass distributed email through the usual veteran forums (I've corrected one grammar mistake...)

All

At the risk of identifying myself, it is timely to inject myself into the superannuation debate once more

I returned to Australia from deployment last week and what I thought were the usual tummy problems one has on deployment or the side effects of the usual medication one takes when one is deployed... turns out to be a terminal malignancy

I'm comfortable in a Defence hospital and will see out what little time I have left there...

The powers that be can swiftly identify me from this and no doubt will be aghast that I entered the debate - but I'd argue that a (previous) Minister of Defence endorses DFWA and the Chief of the Defence Force supports the work of the DFWA

In broad terms, my input has reflected much of the DFWA concerns and whilst perhaps could be deemed to be overtly political, I have clearly stated that I am apolitical and have merely striven to push viewers to enter the marginal seats campaign through DFWA

I'm also happy to admit that I have been in contact with DFWA for the life of my website and that the genesis of my website http://www.qmig.net/milsuper  was what I consider to be a poor reply from the echelons of Defence...

You'll know my focus has been on the proposed new military superannuation accumulation plan and I urge you not to drop the ball on this. Myself and others have grave fears that Dept of Finance will try and sneak this in with little or no consultation with the military or DFWA while many's thoughts are focused on the indexation issue

It's subtle how the world works... but my thoughts are turning somewhat to the indexation issue particularly how this will affect my wife and children

Please remember there are a host of other problems with milsuper - from taxation issues to problems with DFRDB and many others and that you should be contacting DFWA to understand the breadth of the issues involved

The priority at the moment is the indexation issue - unless of course Dept of Finance seeks to ram through the proposed new military superannuation accumulation plan without adequate consultation with the military and DFWA - but perhaps not in the sense that this is a federal election year and there is much lost ground for the government to clawback without offending more large segments of the voting population

The federal election year and the marginal seats campaign makes the indexation issue winnable

It's your last opportunity to make this happen and I take the view that there is only a final push needed

I've said it before and I'll say it again that DFWA provides the vanguard with this issue. Historically they (DFWA) are best placed to further the issue. You may not be aware that at the last federal election, DFWA targeted 16 marginal seats of which 15 changed hands and one hung on by the slimmest of margins

I urge you to join DFWA and volunteer your time and effort to help with the final push. I urge you to write to your federal MPs to tell them the depth of feeling that exists in the service and ex-service community

You will be aware that many of the veteran forums are asking you to vote last for the sitting member and his "opposition" counterpart second-last, but this does not help the debate and can only return the current government to power

I need you to be a part of the broad DFWA campaign by joining and volunteering your time and effort

I honestly take the view that this year is a watershed year where the debate can be resolved once and for all through either political lobbying or the marginal seats campaign - I would point out that many other federal seats can be deemed marginal by virtue of their demographics ie DVA pensioners, retirees, serving members etc

Those of you that read the veteran forums will know the political parties fear our lobby potential, you'll know that there is a mini revolt within the political parties and that many politicians are wavering towards us

I'd remind you that whilst there is a party allegiance - many politicians are moving to the view that their first allegiance is to safeguard their seat which means a shift to us coming first !

Politicians are well aware of the DFWA input into the marginal seats campaign at the last federal election and are well aware of the potential of DFWA to cause a political upset at the upcoming federal election - indeed there is some pressure to resolve issues now

Again - this year is a watershed year - milsuper is a bellwether issue that can herald the downfall of the government or push them to resolve the issues prior to an election

There's little else for me to say - it's really up to youse - but I urge that you board the bus at DFWA and drive all the way to the end of the line
 

7 Jan 2010

I need to sincerely thank those who have kindly distributed my website via their mailing list/s - no names, no packdrill - you know who you are

It is mission essential that you email your ex-service colleagues to provide details of this website (and to ask them to email all of their colleagues as well) and to ask that they write to their political representatives about their expectations. It is mission essential to note that some marginal electorates are wavering in their views and it is also mission essential that you lobby your ex-service organisation to enter the marginal seats debate

It is mission critical that you similarly email serving uniformed members as they bear the brunt of much I have focussed on

I've also updated the contact details of people who may be tilting the seesaw against our favour - see the Your Say webpage

Lastly - be aware that many other organisations such as SCOA may be able to join us in a united campaign... they too have suffered the brunt of the harsh realities of unfairly indexed superannuation pensions

30 Dec 09

Time for a critically important update...

Those who know me will understand that I am well overdue for a rant - nevertheless I will try and keep this logical and coherent

You need to read the Must Read webpage

In short - I am in the unhappy position where I am of the opinion that only urgent and carrot & stick direct political pressure will resolve the milsuper debate...

I'm further of the opinion that there are powerful forces flexing their sinews at Department of Finance patiently biding their time as to when best to introduce a new accumulation plan military superannuation scheme... soon... watch this space

The proposed new accumulation plan military superannuation scheme is deeply flawed in my opinion - I believe that it cannot be a good thing for the military, indeed I say it is a very bitter pill to swallow

I'm well aware that there are many who consider that an accumulation plan is better in the longer term - but the accumulation rate of MSBS since inception has only been 6 % and this does not auger well for the future... and the pension conversion factors inherent with accumulation plans mean that you receive only 30 % of the pension of a defined benefits scheme - yep - bread and dripping for your golden years in retirement

You have to understand that it is merely the third leg of the trifecta for the bureaucrats - they have already succeeded in dismantling the defined benefits schemes for politicians/judges and public servants - and there is little left to do with the final lap closing MSBS for new mbrs and introducing a new accumulation plan milsuper

Again - you need to read the Must Read webpage - I fear I am going to be telling you "I told you so" if you do not step up to the mark and take some urgent and carrot & stick political and media lobbying now

I recommend that you consider joining forces across a broad range of organisations and urgently and immediately begin applying direct political and media pressure now

The military appreciation process will show you the history and context in that no Government wants this to be an election issue - indeed they will compromise to save this turning into a festering political sore - more in the Must Read webpage

I must say that I am not politically affiliated - indeed I take the view that there is a sweeping political avalanche to root out defined benefits schemes unless we undertake a campaign to resolve the debate once and for all - there's far too many marginal seats with military members and superannuation pensioners for politics to ignore us

IF YOU DON'T FIGHT YOU LOSE

26 Oct 09

I received my MSBS Member Statement last Friday...

Not good news at all... - 10.3 % interest rate for the financial year 08/09 (and most likely another negative interest rate next year too)

Billions of dollars - gone !!!

I reckon it'll take the average digger two years of contributions to catch up on their losses... no doubt many will take far longer

Spare a thought for the poor bastards who transferred from PSS to PSSAP

At least we as MSBS members have the added insurance of a defined benefit scheme for which we should be eternally grateful

And what would have happened if we indeed had a new military superannuation accumulation plan or if heaven forbid we had have transferred from MSBS to same - yep - you guessed it - bread and dripping for our golden years in retirement

It's certainly not the climate in which to introduce an accumulation plan but it is far too attractive in terms of unfunded Government contributions for the bean counters to ignore

And which Senator said an accumulation plan was 8 % higher than the rate of inflation... hard to understand that when the compound interest rate since inception of MSBS is yep 6.0 %

4 Oct 09

I'm reading a lot lately how the military has received very generous superannuation benefits reflecting the unique nature of military service... all publicly available if you google to your heart's content

Have we ? methinx the answer is a resounding NO

Have a look at the PSS super book http://www.pss.gov.au/documents/publications/pssbook.pdf

Then have a gander at THE MILITARYSUPER BOOK http://www.militarysuper.gov.au/_lib/pdf/milsuperbook.pdf

Is it any surprise that they appear to be a mirror image of each other in many ways ?

It's time we turned the question inside out... what unique nature of ummm service do Commonwealth public servants have that merits an apparent mirror image of the  indexed pension, and death or invalidity benefits that the military has ? I've said it before and I'll say it again that my opinion is that MSBS is on a near par with PSS and that in some ways PSS has distinct advantages

GOOD QUESTION WHICH I AM FLABBERGASTED ABOUT...

But are the invalidity benefits that equitable ?

Let's not mention that Defence recommends that you take out additional insurance if you are deployed...

I have to delve a bit deeper into invalidity benefits at some stage - there appears to be an inequity for members who enlist/transfer to the ARA later in life and thus have less prospective years of service... I'm cautious about advancing this thread until I have explored how the invalidity benefits are calculated for any separate preserved benefits that such a member may have... more to follow over

12 Oct 09

You'll notice that I have focussed on issues apart from the vexing indexation question and so-called taxation inequities

My opinion is that MSBS needs a revamp to fix a number of issues that I consider are relevant in today's world and that are near and dear to my heart

I'm wary of too much too quickly and will defer other gripes until I have made some progress towards what I consider to be priorities

9 Oct 09

email works !

Some graphics uploaded

Webcounter is spinning but tis more the peak service and ex-service organisations having a peek at this stage

I'm weblinked from http://dfwa.org.au/?ID=bd1f9bd876f0158fb91a9b1908fdae1d

Whoah - google the upcoming Henry Report for even more superannuation bad news on the way

Very little email or comment yet but wait and see

5 Oct 09

Some thoughts for the day...

I have to check the ftp on my server in the USA to see if email works...

It's perhaps timely to point out that it wouldn't hurt Defence to commission a survey/review on serving uniformed members views of the current superannuation schemes

Given that there is some angst and given that you could be forgiven for asking that are the current (and old) schemes outdated in our contemporary environment - is a survey/review relevant ?

I'm certain that there are likely to be many suggestions that may be helpful - the moot point is whether there is the horsepower to change anything...

Uncharted waters for Defence revolve around the seeming need to postion itself with a united front flanking DFWA and other ex-service organisations that fight on our behalf... and the realisation that this may mean that Defence has to adopt a position on issues facing members when they discharge ie the vexing indexation question and the so-called taxation inequities facing retirees from the Defence Force (amongst others)...

It's perhaps timely for a survey/review to be dealt with now in that it is unlikely for a new accumulation scheme to be introduced as early as was proposed given the uncertainties of the economic climate - or is it ? - the savings with unfunded contributions must propel the issue forward

This would at least give time for a greater debate and allow sticking points like the purchasing power of pensions from an accumulation scheme versus the present now generous arrangements to be discussed in some detail

And certainly its time to have a greater debate about the rewards for our special conditions of service unique to our profession of arms. I've said that I believe we are not high achievers when many will think that we have or should have done well given that there is chapter and verse about how we have excelled against the general population by virtue of who we are and what we do - I still think this is NOT so in terms of superannuation...

The doomsayers will say that at the end of the day nothing will change... Government is unlikely to pump more funding into benefits and it is unlikely that the taxation regime or indexation arrangements will be cushioned

And - against a climate of self-funding and the plan to decimate unfunded contributions - is there any chance that we will do better ? Perhaps not or is this just being cynical ?

Adieu for now

3 Oct 09

Now open for business

Your comments and feedback are essential

Send the URL of this website to all military members for comments and feedback before it becomes too late

IF YOU DON'T FIGHT YOU LOSE

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Last modified: 03/07/10