NATS PROMISE A FAIR GO FOR OLDER VICTORIANS

Monday, November 13, 2006

Leader of The Nationals Peter Ryan has today supported the reinstatement of the $84 vehicle registration concession for pensioners as part of a push 'to give older Victorians a fair go'.

Launching The Nationals Plan for Seniors today with Candidate for Mildura Peter Crisp, Mr Ryan said the Bracks Government had been mean-spirited in removing the registration concession and older Victorians deserve better.

"Older people have paid their taxes, they have done their work for the community, and it's only fair that they receive this concession as a small reward for their efforts," Mr Ryan said.

The Nationals propose to extend the benefit to pensioners and concession card holders, along with Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders.

"In fact, our plan includes extending a range of benefits provided to pensioners to self-funded retirees holding a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card," Mr Ryan said.

"These are people who have saved for their retirement and we can afford to offer them some concessions at a time when they don't necessarily have the cash-flow to meet living expenses. Reducing the cost of living for older Victorians is an important initiative and The Nationals will be urging other parties to support our approach."

Mr Ryan said the Bracks Government had failed to address the specific needs of older people and The Nationals supported the creation of a Ministerial position to coordinate the delivery of services throughout the state.

"In an ageing society, we need to make sure that our government is doing everything it can to coordinate the delivery of services and new facilities to meet our changing needs," Mr Ryan said.

"A classic example is catering for the increased use of mobility scooters. The Nationals support the development of a new program to help rural councils provide better infrastructure for mobility scooters.

"There are a number of safety issues related to the use of the scooters and there have been several fatalities in recent years involving collisions with cars. We need to find a better way to look after our older people who rely on these devices for mobility - particularly in country towns where there are limited public transport alternatives."

Other features of The Nationals plan are: 1- Providing additional resources for dementia programs; 2- Supporting home and community services to assist people in their homes; 3- Increasing the cap on the multi-purpose taxi program to $2000 per year; 4 - Implementing a range of initiatives to encourage participation in community activities by older Victorians.