Australians Should Have Access to Super at 50: Clive Palmer

Federal Member for Fairfax

Media release

Palmer United Party federal leader and Member for Fairfax, Clive Palmer, says moves by the Abbott government to raise the age at which retirees can access their superannuation are a disgrace.

Mr Palmer said Tony Abbott’s plan to make Australians wait until they are 70 in order to access their super, having already raised the pension eligibility to that age, was a double blow to the most deserving members of the community.

“It is a disgrace that under Tony Abbott you won’t be able to access super or the pension until you 70,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“How out of touch with working Australia can you be with policy like this?

“Where is the dignity or common sense in asking tradies and manual workers, for example, to keep slogging it out until they are 70? They need the opportunity to be able to access their super well before then,’’ he said.

“Many people in this country do not even reach 70, yet this government thinks it is an appropriate age to keep its hands on their super and deny them any chance of enjoying it.

“The Liberals are content with setting the preservation age for super at 70 to protect the cosy relationship they have with fund managers, lobbyists and party donors.

Mr Palmer said the only way to stop the government’s raid on pensions and superannuation was for Australians to vote for the Palmer United Party.

“Australians need to put this proposal in the rubbish bin where it deserves to be,” he said.

“People need to wake up and listen to what I’ve been saying for a long time about the major parties.”

Mr Palmer said the Palmer United Party supported allowing Australians to access their superannuation from the age of 50.

“Tony Abbott intends to bring in a system which ties people’s super funds up until they are 70,” he said.

“The government needs to move to allow people to access their super from the age of 50.”

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