Ross McDonald tries Logic with Kodagoda & CO

Dear Mr Kodagoda and Associates
Further to my earlier emails that you have acknowledged ( but not answered the points that I have raised )   there are further matters that I wish to bring to your attention.

The first of these is to your advertisement in the Fiji Times of 16 July 2011 entitled  “FNPF CLARIFIES PENSION REFORM”. I previously drew your attention to this in my email of 27 July 2011.

Continue reading

ADVICE FROM A RETIRED HUSBAND:

It is important for men to remember that as women grow older, it
becomes harder for them to maintain the same quality of housekeeping
as when they were younger. When you notice this, try not to yell at
them. Some are oversensitive, and there’s nothing worse than an
oversensitive woman.
Continue reading

Making a Stand

Why are the FNPF and Attorney General so afraid of a group of  aged pensioners who have decided to make a stand with regard to their human rights and for what is rightfully and legally theirs – a pension until they die, and why are they saying that it has a political angle – or is there something more sinister here, that the FNPF members have not been made aware of?
Continue reading

UNITED NATIONS PRINCIPLES FOR OLDER PERSONS

In 1991, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Principles for Older Persons to provide a broader framework for action on ageing. The Principles are framed as 18 entitlements that older persons “should have.” They are organized into five areas relating to the status of the older person:  Independence; participation; care; self-fulfillment; and dignity.
Continue reading

A Simple Matter of Perspective

FNPF CEO Aisake Taito and his management team continue to demand that his generation should not support the pensioners of today. He conveniently disregards the fact that it was the pensioners of today that were the very people who were paying 70% of the personal taxes received by the governments when he was an infant and later when he and others of his age were receiving their education. We the older generation subsidised the needs of the younger generation.
Continue reading

To our UN Vice President Excellency Peter Thomson, Permanent Representative of Fiji to the United Nations General Assembly

Grey Power says:
The United Nations recognizes that the rights of Older Persons should be protected not demolished. Fiji is a member of the United Nations and just this week our Permanent Representative, Mr Peter Thomson was elected to the position of one of 21 Vice Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly, a position Fiji will hold for 12 months. Grey Power hopes that Fiji will fully participate in all the follow up meetings of the Open Ended Working Group on Ageing for the purpose of strengthening theprotection of the human rights of older persons pursuant to General Assembly resolution 65/182.  
People in Fiji who support Grey Power and the Burness v FNPF and AG court action  should write to the Permanent Representative Ambassador Peter Thomson to encourage his participation in all UN Committee or Plenary meetings on the rights of Older Persons. 

Lest we forget

Young people forget that we old people had a career before we retired…..
 
 
Charley, a new retiree-greeter at Wal-Mart, just couldn’t seem to get to work on time. Every day he was 5, 10 or 15 minutes late. But he was a good worker; really tidy, clean-shaven, sharp-minded, and a real credit to the company. He obviously demonstrated their “Older Person Friendly” policies.
One day the boss called him into the office for a talk. “Charley,” he began, “I have to tell you, I like your work ethic, you do a bang-up job when you get here; but your being late so often is quite bothersome.”
“Yes, I know, boss. I am working on it.” Charley replied
Well, good. You’re a team player. That’s what I like to hear.”
“Yes sir. I understand your concern, and I’ll try harder.”
Puzzled, the manager went on to comment, “It’s odd though, your coming in late. I know you’re retired from the Armed Forces. What did they say to you there if you showed up so late and so often?”
 
The old man looked down at the floor, then smiled. He chuckled quietly and said with a sheepish grin, “They usually saluted and said, ‘Good morning, Admiral, can I get your coffee, sir?’.”
 
 
From one old salt to another, be kind to pensioners, if you are lucky you will become one 
 

Lord Hutton’s final report on the future of public service pensions in the UK.

Adapted for Fijipensioners Grey Power from UK Treasury Report

Lord Hutton of Furness’ proposals for comprehensive, long-term structural reform of public service pension schemes.

The final report of the Independent Public Services Pension Commission follows a comprehensive nine-month review. It sets out a number of detailed recommendations to the Government on how public service pensions can be made sustainable and affordable in the future, while providing an adequate level of retirement income.

The main recommendation of the report is that existing final salary public service pension schemes should be replaced by new schemes, where an employee’s pension entitlement is still linked to their salary (a “defined benefit scheme”) but is related to their career average earnings, with appropriate adjustments in earlier years so that benefits maintain their value.

Continue reading

A Muzzled Media

When the Qarase govt was working on its Media Bill I made both written and oral submissions. I was appalled that our government would even consider curtailing our freedom of speech – a fundamental human right.
Indeed, John and I were among the earliest members of the Yellow Ribbon Movement which was set up to protest against the racist and discriminatory Bills being proposed at that time – and proudly wore our yellow ribbons and drove about with a yellow flag fluttering from our vehicle.

Therefore, when Commander Voreqe Bainimarama ousted Qarase and his government in December 2006, (having warned repeatedly that he would ‘clean up’ government if Qarase did not do so) promising to ensure the equality of all races in every way possible: to initiate a fair and equitable voting system: and to bring about a fair and equal Constitution – although slightly uneasy, I decided that I had to support him.
Improvements were made, especially in respect of our long-neglected grass-root citizens. But almost imperceptibly, many of those freedoms precious to any democratic peoples began to be eroded.
Continue reading