Grey Power September 2018

More documents

Recommendations

Info

28 NZ GREYPOWER MAGAZINE » SEPTEMBER 2018 GREY POWER LOBBY REPORT LOBBY VISIT JUNE 2018 REPORT NAME OF MEETING: Bi-annual lobby visit DATE OF MEETING/VENUE: Date - the visit occurred from June 19th – 21st 2018, venue – Wellington. ATTENDEES - The core lobby team consisted of: Mac Welch (Grey Power Federation President and Advocacy Standing Committee co-chair) and Jan Pentecost, (Grey Power Advocacy Standing Committee co-chair and National secretary). R. Reid, Treasurer, Chair Finance and Investment Standing Committee and Aged Care/Retirement Villages National Advisory Group Chair attended the meetings relevant to his responsibilities. PURPOSE OF THE MEETINGS - The main objective of the meetings was for the newly elected Federation President to meet decision-makers in Wellington. DISCUSSIONS WERE HELD WITH: 1. Hon Simon Bridges – Leader of the National Party Meeting purpose was to discuss the following Grey Power issues: The SuperGold card – the Leader of the Opposition told us he is very keen on the SuperGold card and he said he will be particularly interested to see what the Acting Prime Minister does with it; especially free transport Health – Free annual health and eye checks as promised by NZ First and Labour were discussed - National believe that the coalition government talked up expectations for the health budget which was lower than the former government’s health expenditure intentions – they would support more spending on health and the Super- Gold card should encourage more discounts on eyes, ears and teeth treatment. The Hon Bridges told us that macular degeneration, dental care and ACC were areas which National is particularly interested in. Health Insurance – the Hon Bridges said if they saw a sensible proposal they would consider it; Mac Welch responded that the Australian system was suitable for New Zealand and that he would send the National Party leader a paper re this issue. Aged care commissioner – Grey Power pointed out that this was a long-standing issue and asked would National provide a commissioner? The Hon Bridges replied that if he could be convinced that this would help seniors he would look at it but he wants to know what Grey Power wants from such a commissioner when we have a health and disability commissioner and human rights commissioner etc. already. Grey Power Aged Care National Advisory Group chair, Roy Reid responded that seniors need someone with complete power to act across all the areas where they are disadvantaged; e.g. elder abuse etc. A reduction in the number of District Health Boards (DHBs) and older people on DHBs = Grey Power remit # 28 2018 – the only response Grey Power received was that there are inconsistencies between DHBs The Grey Power National Secretary, Jan Pentecost, asked Hon Bridges: “If you put aside straight political motivation, that is vote capture, how do you as a politician decide which needs you will concentrate on?” He responded that he worked on principles; i.e. decisions are based on evidence and the aim is to identify what would make the biggest change for seniors. The Grey Power team were also informed by Hon Bridges that: – the real costs of living were important to him, – the changes to law and order made by the current Justice Minister meant people may not be safe, – the welfare review was softening sanctions/reducing incentives to work, – the Hon Maggie Barry would be responsible for all senior’s issues – he would welcome Grey Power input into relevant National Party policies The benefit of the meeting to Grey Power was: - that the National Party Opposition would look at Grey Power’s proposals if we put up a good case for change - that Grey Power may provide input into relevant National Party policies 2. The Ministry of Social Development/ Office of Seniors The meeting purpose was to obtain information about the following Grey Power issues: Overseas pension Super question Background – a query re a New Zealand citizen living in the UK for the last 10+ years with a SIPP (Self Invested Pension Plan), 62 years old, intends to return to NZ within the next 12 to 18 months accompanied by his wife. At that time the SIPP will be worth approximately £100k which cannot be transferred into a QROPS pension scheme in NZ so it will be left in the UK and amounts drawn from it to assist with retirement. The question was how will this income (or fund) be taxed in NZ? Would this taxable benefit be 5% of, say, the £100k or would the taxable benefit be simply the income drawn from the fund? or perhaps the taxable benefit will be the gain in the fund from one year to another? Lynne Cousins, Policy Manager, Seniors, International and Disability has responded that: The query relates to the tax treatment likely to apply to private pension payments the person might receive from the UK when he is resident in New Zealand. I have made enquiries to Inland Revenue and have the following information which may be helpful. Please note this information does not apply to social security pensions. I stress that this does not constitute tax advice and it is recommended that the person seek further advice from a tax consultant or accountant. On the IRD website – the IR 257 booklet is a very useful resource (https://www.ird.govt.nz/resources/ b/e/be0558004ba3d583b2a1bf9ef8e4b077/ir257.pdf). In general, New Zealand residents who acquired the rights in their foreign superannuation scheme (as defined in the Income Tax Act 2007 – I can’t say definitely whether the SIPP falls within the definition, but it is probable) while they were nonresident are taxed in relation to that scheme when they receive a lump sum (either as a withdrawal, or as a transfer to a New Zealand or Australian superannuation scheme) or a periodic pension. There are a few exceptions to this general rule – for example, if the income is received in the first 4 years of New Zealand residence it may be tax free, or if the individual correctly complied with the foreign investment fund rules in relation to their scheme (FIF rules) prior to 20 May 2013 and continue to do so then distributions are not taxed. In the case of a periodic pension, this is generally taxable in full and should be included in the person’s income tax return each year. In some instances, a foreign tax credit may be available for foreign income tax paid on the pension. However, the exact tax treatment will depend on whether there is a double tax agreement (DTA) in place with the country where the scheme is based and the specifics of the relevant Article(s) of the DTA. Note that there is a DTA with the UK and the text can be found here: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/1984/0024/latest/ DLM94689.html?src=qs . IRD has further specific information relating to the treatment of pensions under New Zealand’s DTAs here: http://www.ird.govt.nz/international/residency/dta/#oseaspension On a different matter, if information is required about entitlement to New Zealand Superannuation under the Social Security Agreement between New Zealand and the United Kingdom and the treatment of state administered government pensions in New Zealand I can help. Grey Power’s gain – was to provide this information to older people who are in the above position Closure of WINZ offices – Grey Power asked why some offices had been or were being closed – building compliance issues was one reason; however, superannuitants can now have an appointment with their case manager on the telephone and case managers will call people back – Grey Power expressed concern about telephone assessments but we were informed that the questioning process would be adequate. Also, we were told that, in normal circumstances, visits to WINZ offices would now be more welcoming. Browns Bay WINZ Office - possible closure. At this point in time all options were being considered and the President will receive a response re this. Super Seniors newsletter – this document provides seniors with interesting articles and is available on-line at www.superseniors.msd.govt.nz or associations can access hard copies through local WINZ offices Confusion about which partner will get the energy payment – we were told that this will go into the account of whoever went onto superannuation or a benefit first- approximately 1000 people (at the time of the meeting) had opted out of receipt of the payment Positive Ageing Strategy – the Office for Seniors/MSD will/have provided associations with updates/information on the development of a new strategy including how to contribute to the national conversation – comments/submissions are due by August 24th 2018 Age- friendly communities - funding for communities to set up agefriendly programmes has been committed to by the government and New Zealand has now become affiliated to WHO age-friendly communities network The benefit of the meeting to Grey Power was that information was provided for members on the above topics. And the benefit to MSD was to inform them of our members concerns 3. The Commerce Commission presentation attended by R. Reid Its aim was to inform Grey Power of the nationwide programme to monitor and improve New Zealand’s broadband performance. The Commerce Commission pointed out that it is seeking 3,000 house-
GREY POWER LOBBY REPORT NZ GREYPOWER MAGAZINE » SEPTEMBER 2018 29 holds to be part of this programme and the aim of the monitoring programme is to provide consumers with independent information on broadband performance across different providers, plans, and technologies, to help them choose the best broadband for their household. Shining a light on actual broadband performance will also encourage telco providers to compete on performance and not just price. Three thousand volunteers from all parts of the country, of all ages, and on all types of broadband technologies, plans and providers are required to take part. Volunteers will be provided with a Whitebox (similar to a modem) to plug in at home. The Whitebox will perform automated tests on a home’s internet performance at different times of the day. It will not record any personal information or browsing history and does not interfere with your internet service. A small amount of your broadband data will be used to conduct testing. However, this is expected to have little to no impact on testing volunteers. SamKnows has been selected to run the programme following an open tender process. The programme is costing $2.8 million over three years. Sam- Knows is currently assessing broadband performance for about half of the world’s internet population. Monitoring results and reports will be available on a dedicated website from October 2018 at www.measuringbroadbandnewzealand.com. More information on the programme and details about how to become a volunteer can be found at www.comcom.govt.nz/broadbandvolunteer. The Grey Power Federation Office has circulated the Press release re this programme. Background to SamKnows SamKnows was founded in 2003 and is based in London. It is considered to be a world leader in internet performance measurement and its current testing programmes cover almost half of the world’s internet population. It works with regulators from the UK, US, European Commission, Singapore, Brazil and Canada to measure internet performance across the whole of Europe, North and South America, parts of Asia, and Australia. More information about SamKnows can be found at www.samknows.com. Tender process In June 2017, the Commission put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a provider to supply broadband testing and reporting on behalf of the Commission. We received six applications for the contract, with each assessed under the All of Government rules of sourcing, against criteria including value for money, and the quality of the product and service offering. The Commission’s previous broadband testing programme was conducted by TrueNet. That programme had operated since 2012 and concluded earlier this year. The Commission’s role in telecommunications As part of our wider role, the Commission monitors the competition, development, and performance of telecommunication markets under section 9A of the Telecommunications Act 2001. The Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework Amendment) Bill currently before Parliament would also require the Commission to specifically monitor retail service quality and provide consumer-friendly information to help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions. Information provided by Rachael Cox - Senior Communications Adviser- Commerce Commission | Te Komihana Tauhokohoko 4. The Banking Ombudsman Nicola Sladden and Tina Mitchell (Deputy Banking Ombudsman – Prevention) Meeting purpose was to become informed re the following Grey Power issues: Bank fees – Grey Power has had many emails etc. about bank charges lately and we were informed that banks have a legal right to charge but the question was asked are the charges reasonable and is it the right thing to do? We were told that the Bankers Association promotes the following code: When you deal with us, we will do these things. • Treat you fairly and reasonably. • Communicate with you clearly and effectively. • Respect your privacy and confidentiality and keep our banking systems secure. • Act responsibly if we offer or provide you with credit. • Deal effectively with your concerns and complaints. In addition to the Code, the New Zealand Bankers’ Association has developed a set of voluntary guidelines to improve access to banking services for the elderly and disabled people. The guidelines were developed in 2009 with input from organisations representing the elderly and disabled communities and the Human Rights Commission. For further information on either the code or voluntary guidelines please visit http://www.nzba.org.nz/ consumer-information/code-bankingpractice/code-of-banking-practice/ Nicola and Tina told us that agency service fees would be one of the biggest banking related problems for older people and they suggested that Grey Power talk to Hon Kris Faafoi (Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs) about this issue. They will also raise this issue with relevant groups and provide us with feedback Scams/Fraud – we were told that banks have an obligation to keep their systems safe and secure. The Banking Ombudsman office provides clear advice on how to avoid becoming involved in a scam or fraud so please use their web-site to access this information. The Banking Ombudsman office offers a free and independent dispute resolution service. They look into complaints by customers about their banks. Sometimes they make formal decisions, but often they facilitate outcomes agreeable to the customer and the bank before that. They also help in other ways, such as offering information and guidance on banking matters. For more information go to: https://bankomb.org. nz/about-us/ or obtain a brochure re their services from your bank. The Banking Ombudsman office will provide presentations to Grey Power associations on scams and fraud etc. It will also provide copy for the Grey Power magazine and address a Board meeting. The benefit of the meeting to Grey Power was to learn more about the function of the Banking Ombudsman office and its role in fair banking practices and scams and fraud. 5. The Rt Hon Winston Peters (Acting Prime Minister) – Grey Power asked: Q. Where are we at with the introduction of new generation smart card – will it be an ID card and will it be able to be utilised nationally for transport etc.? A. This is still being worked on – there is no time-line yet – the practical issues are being worked through -we want to get the card right and it is a priority. Q. When will the one free annual health and eye check be introduced? A. It is on the priority list but cheaper doctor visits for community service card holders will start from December Q. When will the age for free breast screening rise to 74 years? A. This is on the Ministry of Health’s radar screen and will be done during the coalition government’s first term. Q. When will an aged care commissioner be appointed? Given that before the election last year Dr David Clark said this will be provided in the first budget – it wasn’t. (see Stuff = Cate Broughton14:07, Sep 14 2017). A. This will be followed up with the Minister of Health Q. Will the number of District Health Boards (DHBs) in New Zealand be part of the review into the health system? A. Yes, DHBs will be part of the full review which is occurring at present- he is unhappy with the inconsistencies between DHBs Q. Is NZ First supportive of a subsidy for private health insurance holders? A. Yes Q. Does NZ First support subsidised dental care for low income people? A. The party has no position on this. It would need buy-in from the Government and the Opposition. Grey Power expressed disappointment that some pre-election promises made by the Labour Party had not eventuated but the Rt Hon Peters said that it was a coalition government and therefore some specific party promises had not come through the negotiation process or would not happen at the specified time The benefit of the meeting to Grey Power was to provide members with up-dates on some issues which are important to members. 6. Matt McPherson – KiwiBank Kiwi Bank charges Matt informed Grey Power that: - people over 65 years old do not pay transaction fees - there will be a waiver for cheque fees for Grey Power associations - any Grey Power members with concerns can phone Kiwi Bank - the bank will sort out fraudulent transactions and the internet guarantee clicks in - Grey Power members and others should never give their passwords out - financial abuse of older people, often by family members, was discussed PROGRESS ON AGM REMITS: Work has begun or continues on – REMIT FROM PAST AGMS re breast screening for over 74 -year-olds REMIT 17: Free dental care REMIT 20: Aged Care Commissioner for older people REMIT 23: Free macular degeneration screening & treatment REMIT 30: Health system review – fewer DHBs etc. CORRECTION: In the last lobby report some information provided by ACC was inaccurate. Peter Lewis from ACC has informed that the age-adjustment figure in the case study is no longer accurate: since 1 January 2011, the age-adjustment for a 74-year-old male would be 7.5 percent. Further information can be accessed at http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/1999/0167/latest/DLM286778. html#DLM286778 Disclaimer: Although every effort has been made to provide accurate information in this report the authors take no responsibility for unintended inaccuracies Report author/editor = Jan Pentecost Advocacy Standing Committee Co-Chair
Page 1 and 2: A lifestyle quarterly and official
Page 3 and 4: NZ GREYPOWER MAGAZINE » SEPTEMBER
Page 11 and 12: 11 Hot topic: Medical cannabis Both
Page 13 and 14: GIVEAWAY TIME! Enter to win one of
Page 17 and 18: Luxury ‘Gold Class’ fleet Opule
Page 21 and 22: Santa & his reindeer really “fly
Page 27: NZ GREYPOWER MAGAZINE » SEPTEMBER
Page 43 and 44: Association Contacts: Ashburton Sec
Page 49 and 50: CROSSWORD Complete the crossword. T

Grey Power September 2018

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?