[BITList] BPiA members Update Mar 2018

Thu Mar 29 12:35:04 BST 2018

Name:  Hamish I & Ursula E   Waters          
BPiA Member No:  5540 

BPiA UPDATE - MAR 2018 <>
It has been a reasonably active couple of months since we last communicated with you.

Jim Tilley has been his usual busy self with letters and tweets to politicians here and in UK.  Jim has to have an operation which, together with due convalescence, will take him out of action for the next couple of weeks so we wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to his return to the fray with increased energy and optimism.
As a result of our meeting with Malcolm Turnbull in January, our Canadian cousins CABP have been busy trying to get a similar meeting with Justin Trudeau, but so far no success.
Members of your committee have been making representations to MPs and cabinet Ministers to attempt to have the issue of “discrimination by UK government against pensioners living in Commonwealth countries” raised at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in April 2018
Plans for activity in London during CHOGM are being put together with our PR agents in UK. PHA Media Ltd.
We have two new members of our Committee who have already taken positive  action to promote our case.  
Tony Walsh is from Preston in Victoria. He has been involved with this campaign for sometime, he has been responsible for extending our connections with Julie Bishop and DFAT.
Bernard Stone is from Glenhaven, NSW. He is assisting with his connections through the military and encouragement of our members to prompt their local parliamentary representatives to push our Prime Minister in the right direction.

Activity in Westminster.
The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Frozen British Pensions which is fighting our case under the chairmanship of Sir Roger Gale, has been strengthened by the introduction of new MPs.  The APPG has written to all Heads of Government requesting that this issue be addressed at CHOGM.
The continued “freezing of pensions paid to UK pensioners living overseas” is subject to an annual Parliamentary procedure at budget time in March which is too convoluted to describe.  There was a plan, supported by the Labour Party, Scottish Nationalists Party and a number of independent and Conservative MPs, to have this voted down.  This was intended to be the first step in the process to get the frozen pension issue resolved.  Regrettably the government decided to link into this procedure changes to the Carer’s Allowance; The Labour Party and SNP will not vote down the amendment to the Carer’s Allowance.  So the plan seems unlikely to succeed – very underhand by the Tories but it would seem that our behind the scenes activity is beginning to make the UK Government think.
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)  20th April 2018
The International Consortium of British Pensioners (ICBP) has written  to the Heads of Government of each Commonwealth country drawing attention to the anomaly and unfair practice of freezing pensions and pointing out that this is in direct contravention of one of the key principles of the Commonwealth Charter signed by Her Majesty the Queen, in March 2013, which states: “We are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination”.

One of the Directors of ICBP, John Duffy, has been able to get himself included in the delegation for CHOGM representing Caribbean countries.  John is a very positive and active man who it is hoped  will be able to make the right connections while in London.  We have advised Malcolm Turnbull that we have a representative in that group.
It was John’s idea that we set up a van adorned with banners that draw attention to the unfair and discriminatory practice of “Frozen Pensions for Commonwealth residents”.  This van will be parked and driven around relevant areas of London and Windsor where the delegates will be attending.  This programme is being co-ordinated by PHA Media who will arrange for a photographer and media connections to get the appropriate publicity during CHOGM.
At the end of this email [Right click to download the picture] you will find the final draft for the text that will appear on a specially designed truck that carries a double-sided billboard (I can’t give you the dimensions, but it is quite substantial and very noticeable). It has been suggested that we have 2 such vans but it will be subject to the funds being available.

MEETING WITH MALCOLM TURNBULL
We have received a personal response from the PM in relation to our meeting in January.  Although he agreed that the situation was unfair and discriminatory, he has stated that he could not formally propose that the matter relating to “frozen British Pensions” be raised at CHOGM. 
However, separate correspondence with Dept of Fair Trading and Trade (DFAT) and Ministry of Social Services suggests that there might be opportunities to have this issue raised at one of the subsidiary forums that take place around the formal meeting.
We have replied to the PM suggesting that he should delegate DFAT or some other department to seek to have the matter discussed outside the formal meeting. We have also written to Julie Bishop and suggested that this matter should be addressed in conjunction with any Trade talks with UK associated with Brexit.

MEMBERS ACTION
To encourage our PM to take action on our behalf at CHOGM, we ask you to write to, or arrange to meet, your local Federal MP. Explain to him/her how important it is to have the freezing our pensions addressed and fixed at CHOGM and that the PM should be the person to have this issue considered at that meeting.
The major points that you should emphasised are
·     The discriminatory act of freezing the rate of entitlement to a UK pension to over 500,000 UK expats is carried out against residents of most Commonwealth countries
·     There are only 6 Commonwealth countries in which this policy does not apply (Barbados, Jamaica, Mauritius, Malta, Cyprus and Bermuda)
·     The discriminatory policy does not apply to over 640,000 expats residents of other countries including USA, Israel, the Philippines, Turkey and the EEA
·     This discriminatory policy is incompatible with the Commonwealth Charter which states “We are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination”:
·     Out of the 245,000 UK pensioners resident in Australia, approximately 195,000 also claim an Australian pension via Centrelink.
·     If full payment of UK pension entitlement was made to UK pensioners resident in Australia, it is estimated that the Australian economy would benefit by approx A$435M per annum and Centrelink payments would be reduced by A$170M.
·     UK pensions are based on compulsory National Insurance contributions.

At the end of this update you will find a short document that we suggest you print out and either send by email or post (or both) to Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop.  A fairly simple task – just add you name and address at the bottom and add any personal comment that you feel appropriate.
The relevant addresses are in the document
We need volume so please just print and post……

Communication with Theresa May, UK Prime Minister
We would encourage our members to communicate with Theresa May before CHOGM with your complaint.  There are a number of different avenues that are available:
Mail: Rt Hon Theresa May, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
Email: mayt @parliament.uk
Twitter: @Theresa_May
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheresaMayOfficial/ <https://bpia.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2ae02121f8fda2a23567893e8&id=9d3c333f1d&e=ec4b7eb1a2>
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theresamay/?hl=en <https://bpia.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2ae02121f8fda2a23567893e8&id=63b32fc8c6&e=ec4b7eb1a2> @TheresaMay
Ensure that plenty of #tags are included. The optimum number is 11 #tags

Volunteers
Once again I would ask for members to put up their hands to volunteer to help with our cause. We rely upon a very limited group of dedicated volunteers and we need to increase our numbers if we are to continue the fight beyond 2018. 
In particular we need persons with good computer skills who can help us maintain and develop our systems of communication – website and social media as well as management of emails.  In particular we are needing someone who has knowledge of, and has the ability to use and maintain Access Database and MailChimp programs
We also need persons who have the ability to carry forward and develop our case for presentation to the politicians to generate action. One particular area of need is someone who can co-ordinate promotion to the large number of Seniors groups.
I repeat that I think 2018 is a critical year.  We have been fighting this battle for many years and without increased assistance then BPiA may weaken at a crucial time when we finally see a chance of winning the battle.
Membership
Please pass on our message to any of your friends who receive a Government pension from UK, if they are not members, encourage them to go to our website https://www.bpia.org.au/index.php <https://bpia.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2ae02121f8fda2a23567893e8&id=8c18329706&e=ec4b7eb1a2> and join up.  We have had 50 new members join us in the first 3 months of 2018, but unfortunately that only just exceeds those lost to us
Jim Tilley is our expert and can provide you with information and advice concerning all issues relating the UK Pensions - contact him via jimtilley at bigpond.com <mailto:jimtilley at bigpond.com> or by phone 1300 308 353 or 02 9521 7964.
Please bear in mind that over the next month Jim will be convalescing after his operation so perhaps leave any unnecessary communication until the end of April
Once again we wish you a happy and prosperous 2018.

Brian Owles
President                                                                     28th March 2018

Malcolm Turnbull MP: Prime Minister
E-mail address:    Malcolm.Turnbull.MP at aph.gov.au <mailto:Malcolm.Turnbull.MP at aph.gov.au>     
Postal address:   PO Box 545 Edgecliff 2027
Julie Bishop MP, Foreign Affairs Minister  
E=mail address Julie.Bishop.MP at aph.gov.au <mailto:Julie.Bishop.MP at aph.gov.au>    
Postal address  PO Box 6022, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600
___________________________________________________________________

Dear Prime Minister & Foreign Minister
UK government discrimination against UK pensioners resident in Australia

Please raise the ‘Frozen Pensions” issue at the CHOGM in London and stop the Pensions Discrimination which affects people from Commonwealth countries who have worked in Britain.
If this is not an issue for CHOGM then what is?
If this issue does not move you, just remember the large number of ,up to 250,000, people that are affected by this discrimination and most have votes here!
Good luck at the Conference

Your name and address here:

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Our mailing address is:
British Pensions in Australia
PO Box 474
Edgecliff, NSW 2027
Australia

Add us to your address book <file://bpia.us15.list-manage.com/vcard%3fu=2ae02121f8fda2a23567893e8&id=fee637145a>

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