Elderly plan march

Press, 15 November 1984, Page 1

Elderly plan march

PA Wellington A Labour Party supporter, Mrs Dee Maunder, aged 61, is so angry about the treatment of the elderly in the Budget that she plans to organise a march on Parliament. Mrs Maunder said that the surtax on National Superannuation was the “straw that broke the camel’s back and we are all old camels.”

The extra $3.60 given to single superannuitants would bring her income up to $100.60 a week which would not pay the increased electricity costs also in the Budget, she said. “The Budget actually

threw me,” said Mrs Maunder, who spent her day on Tuesday speaking to about 100 elderly people in Wellington.

One old woman had told her she would now go without margarine on her bread: “No old citizen deserves treatment like that.” Mrs Maunder said that for too long elderly people had not spoken out because they thought it was undignified.

“We are not prepared to hurt anymore. This isn’t what the Labour Government promised.”

Mrs Maunder said that 12 months ago the Labour Party had said .it would

make sure people had enough to live on with dignity. “There is no dignity in old age in what we are getting, what the Government hands out.

“I voted Labour (in the election), I’m a staunch Labourite. I have voted Labour all my life. If I ended up by being a multimillionaire I would vote Labour because of the principles the Labour Party used to have,” she said. Mrs Maunder said the march would not be a long one and the able-bodied would push those in wheelchairs if necessary.