Australia to reduce pension costs, pensions to rise
- July 5, 2021
Pensioners in Victoria and New South Wales will have to pay more for their pensions, the Victorian Government has announced.
The decision is part of a $30 billion package announced by Prime Minister Daniel Andrews on Monday, but will come with some significant cuts to some public sector pensions.
Mr Andrews said there was no way to pay for them with less revenue.
The Government is also looking to reduce the number of public sector workers it has, and will announce a new pay scale and a new pension scheme early next year.
Mr Scott said that in order to ensure the Government can continue to deliver its promised savings and boost the economy, he would also seek to improve funding for the ABC, which has been hit by budget cuts.
The ABC will lose around $10 million a year in 2018-19.
The broadcaster has also been under pressure over the past year to reduce its workload, with the number and types of shows being curtailed.
Mr Swan said that was why he would increase the number, as well as look at ways of ensuring the ABC was “better prepared to meet the needs of future generations”.
He said the Government was committed to making Australia the “most digitally connected country in the world”.
He called for the “gold standard” of the ABC to be the Digital Media Awards, to be held in November next year, in a bid to attract the highest-rated programming.
“That’s the most prestigious award the country can get,” Mr Swan told the ABC.
“It’s a celebration of the work the ABC has done, and it’s something we’re committed to delivering.”
The ABC was once the envy of the nation, with more than 10 million people subscribing to the channel, and with the network making billions of dollars in advertising.
It was also a major source of revenue for the Government.
The number of hours it broadcast has decreased by about 50 per cent over the last 10 years.
