Just take a look at Labour, who have not a thing to offer.
I think the gold card is fantastic, especially for the older people living on Waiheke, as it's not cheap for them to visit the mainland, My parents live there & we see them more now they have a gold card, these people have paid taxes all their lives, they deserve it!
I agree with judith adams 12 MAR 2010 cut mps pay there's alot in parliment that don't deserve to get paid.
It has always been said that a country gets the government it deserves, not necessarily what it wants. National & Act & to a lesser extent the Maori Party are what we deserve but I don't like it one little bit. Over many years I worked very hard to raise a family, have our own home & worked full time. I've earned my supergold card. Without the free travel I would be housebound because there is minimal public transport in our area, petrol is too expensive to drive the kms into the city & I can't afford to shift house. With no family close & with mobility issues I would probably become a homebound & increasingly miserable old lady. Next election remember we didn't as a country vote for Rodney Hide, & most of those who got an easy ride into parliament on the list seats. MMP - I don't think so! Gold Card tinkering would only be the beginning!
Yes it is a mean government and if they get in a second term the gold card will go. They don't care about democracy or honoring the oldies who went to war for us. Shame on Nats.
Only Campbell could make a programme extolling the virtues of the Gold Card without mentioning the name of the man who divised it. Winston Peters...not only a champion for the elderly, he introduced free health care for the under 6's. Just hold your breath until the greedy Nats have a crack at that too. Compare his record of public good to Hide's. Its a sick joke. Roll on the 2011 election!
My parents worked very hard paid there taxes they are retired get paid very little from the government if it wasn't for the grand kids and us there children they would have no quality of life and would be struggling. Makes me sick this government may even consider cutting the goldcard. How very little they think of our older generation.
I fully support the idea of greater support for the elderly WHO NEED IT. It is terrifying to think of having to survive in one's old age on something like the dole. However, I do not like the idea of something available to people just because of their age. I do not see a New Zealand today that old people can be particularly proud to have left behind. As such, I don't see that the elderly deserve this card on the basis of what they've contributed over their lives. Let's focus on getting support to the poor, whatever their age, and let those oldies with a million in the bank and their own, warm homes to live in pay for day trips to Waiheke Island themselves.
I agree with all the feedback below.What with the elderly care cutbacks,G.S.T.to15%,petrol prices up,ect, leave the oldies alone.
After all the promises John Key made before the election. He is now turning the other way. It's about time the people remembered what happened the last time the Nats were in. Now they want to raise GST, which will hurt lower paid people and superannuitants most. LEAVE OUR GOLD CARD ALONE. If you interfere with that, it will be the last thing you ever do.