Federal Budget 2018 to be pitched squarely at seniors

BILLIONS of dollars in sweeteners for Australian seniors will become the centrepiece of the Turnbull Government’s election fightback campaign — and also helps save the kids’ inheritance.

• Premier’s warning for PM
• Editorial: The debt trap
• Billions for Qld roads

A BLUE-rinse Budget worth billions of dollars extra in sweeteners for Australian seniors will become the centrepiece of the Turnbull Government’s election fightback campaign — and also helps save the kids’ inheritance.

In one of the biggest long-term investments for older Australians, Treasurer Scott Morrison will tonight unveil a multi-pronged package, with a focus an extra 20,000 home-care packages to allow people to stay in their homes for longer.

Mr Morrison told The Courier-Mail the Budget would focus on dignity and choice for mature Australians who were still in the workforce or had retired.

He would not confirm or deny that age pensioners would be able to work more hours without losing part of their pension.

Among those set to welcome the Budget are (from left) Cheryl Mckenzie, 62, Vicki Parker, 55, Anne Noonan, 58, and Robyn Mathers, 60, pictured at their senior yoga group. Picture: Liam Kidston

The landmark ageing plan across several portfolios will target people aged over 50, with specific sweeteners for those in their 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

It will include more support for older Australians in rural and regional areas, and money to provide palliative care to help Australians die with dignity.

Seniors who need to go into residential care are often forced to sell their family home to fund their aged-care bond. It has generated hostility in the electorate because the next generation are often relying on inheritance to fund their own way into their first home.

Politically, the Government gets two wins. By helping more people stay in their own homes, it allows older Australians to give away a ­bigger slice of inheritance ­because they do not have to pay for an aged-care bed.

It also offers an olive branch to conservative voters who were hit with superannuation and asset changes in the past few years; and sharpens the attack against Labor, which is under fire over its imputation credit plan.

The extra home-care packages – ranging from helping with the washing to showering frail seniors – will be announced to dramatically cut waiting lists for help at home.

There are four levels of care, from basic to high needs. All will get extra places to give older Australians more choice about their health and dignity as they age.

Highly placed sources told The Courier-Mail that the package was considered the centrepiece of the Budget and Malcolm Turnbull, the Treasurer and Scott Morrison would embark on a selling spree from tomorrow.

Mr Morrison said there needed to be a change of attitude about ageing.

“We’ve also got to look at it in a positive way. Too often the ageing of the population is seen in a very negative burden,’’ Mr Morrison said.

“But the truth is people are living longer and living healthier.

“Now I’d say that is a good thing and I suspect ­people who are living longer and living healthier think it’s good. What’s important is that you have an ageing plan which both ensures as you age that you continue to respect the dignity of older Australians.

“You shouldn’t have to be giving up choices and giving over your dignity as you age.

“We want to continue to facilitate Australians as they get older having at least as many choices as they had, if not more.

“And you’ve got people as they age who need to transform their skills and change their skills and they might start to do that at a younger age in their 50s.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull talks to Treasurer Scott Morrison at a Cabinet meeting at Parliament House. Picture: Kym Smith

Today’s Budget will also unveil anticipated personal income tax cuts, which are ­expected to be modest.

As revealed in The Courier-Mail in February, the Government’s better-than-expected bottom line sparked Cabinet talks about widening tax cuts or bringing forward the surplus a year earlier to 2019-2020.

Mr Morrison’s third Budget will focus on tax cuts, planning for ageing and a massive infrastructure spend.

Mr Turnbull said it was a Budget “that will enable us to have the resources to keep Australians safe and a Budget that will ensure that the Government lives within its means”. “Because we don’t want to throw a mountain of debt on to the shoulders of our children and grandchildren,” he said.

“It’s a great Budget Scott, you’ve done a fantastic job. You’re delivering on the National Economic Plan we took to the people in 2016.

“We said we would deliver jobs and growth.

“Last year, the highest jobs growth in the country’s history.

“That’s giving us the means to guarantee essential services, build that essential infrastructure, keep Australians safe and bring the Budget back into balance.”

Originally published as Federal Budget 2018 to be pitched squarely at seniors