MEDIA RELEASE – James Harker-Mortlock – Independent for Hume - Wednesday 19th June 2013 SNOWDEN ATTEMPTS TO SNOWBALL VETERANS “On Monday, in response to a question from Peter Slipper on the indexation of military superannuation, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Warren Snowdon, raised the misleading concept of a “30%” notional government superannuation contribution. However, the Minister knows that all payments are made from consolidated revenue. The Minister knows that the government contributes nothing to any military superannuation scheme until a person retires or becomes eligible for the employer contribution. The purpose of indexing any taxpayer-funded pension is to maintain its purchasing power. How can the Government claim that the PBLCI/CPI/MTAWE indexation regime is necessary to keep the age pension in line with cost of living increases but then claim that CPI indexation alone is sufficient for military superannuation pensions to keep up with the identical cost of living increases? The Minister dodged entirely the part of the question relating to the Prime Minister’s failure to honour her commitment to meet with representatives of the Alliance of Defence Service Organisations (ADSO). What veterans need from the Minister is not spin – what veterans need is a commitment to : a. Bring the indexation of superannuation payments for former defence personnel into line with old age pensions, and b. Back date indexation to the actual date of retirement so that all future payments are at the fully indexed level.” ABOUT JAMES HARKER-MORTLOCK. James is a former Chairman of the Burrinjuck Nationals and was Campaign Director for Katrina Hodgkinson at the 2011 state election. Whilst in the Nationals, James served on their state Natural Resources and Energy Policy Committee covering issues such as strategic agricultural lands, aquifer interference, wind turbines, and other topics of relevance to rural Australia. James was involved with the Yass farmers’ action group seeking reform of the LHPA system in New South Wales. In 2012, after a back-room deal was done with the Liberal Party which prevented the National Party from running a candidate of their own in Hume, James resigned from the National Party to stand as an independent right of centre candidate for the seat. James has served the Coalition for many years since his days involved in student politics at Sydney University in the 1970’s. James ran as an endorsed Liberal candidate in the seats of Parramatta (1983) and Sydney (1984) after a stint working at the Liberal Party Federal Secretariat in 1979. In 2004 he ran as an independent candidate for the Senate under the ‘Big Push for Small Business’ banner. He provided his preferences to the Coalition at that election. If elected to represent Hume, James will align with the Nationals. James’s community involvement includes support for over twenty years for intervention in East Timor and as Secretary of the Australia-Solomon Islands Friendship Association lobbying for a peace keeping mission to be sent to the Solomons. He is currently a board member of the charity Australian Desert Expeditions and Treasurer of the University of Sydney Union Alumni and Friends Association and a Committee Member of the Sydney Arts and Social Sciences Alumni Association of the University of Sydney. James lives with his partner, Fiona Fox on a wool and fat lamb breeding property ‘Blackburn’, north of Yass. James maintains also his long term involvement with the electronic publishing industry. James has two children, Fred and Julia, who live and work overseas. James graduated from the University of Sydney in 1978 with an Honours Degree in Arts. Contact : James Harker-Mortlock - Email : james@puttinghumefirst; Mobile : 04 111 82649 Website : puttinghumefirst
Posted on: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:40:25 +0000
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