News Articles

Media Releases

Queensland nursing home residents abandoned in act of extreme elder abuse: Disqualify People Care Ltd, pensioners say

12 July 2019

Queensland nursing home residents abandoned in act of extreme elder abuse: Disqualify People Care Ltd, pensioners say

4 June 2019

With one interest rate now announced and another one or two coming, it’s time the Government reviewed the deeming rates used to assess the income pensioners get from their bank accounts and term deposits.

16 April 2019

“The spanking new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has been shown up for what it is: an already tired re-iteration of its predecessor the Aged Care Quality Accreditation Agency and a watchdog lacking teeth and growl”, said Paul Versteege, Policy Manager for the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association (CPSA).

5 April 2019

“While there were many good things in the Opposition’s Budget reply speech, it failed to say anything meaningful about Newstart, the Clayton’s Age Pension, which is the 60% pension you get when you don’t get a pension”, said Paul Versteege, Policy Manager for the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association.

4 April 2019

“There are encouraging reports about the federal opposition committing to increased health funding, but simply increasing funding for Medicare is not enough”, said Paul Versteege, Policy Manager for the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association.

2 April 2019

“A one-off Energy Assistance Payment is about the only thing that pensioners and carers take away from a Budget that ignores the aged care, the inadequacy of Newstart, the lack of a decent national public dental scheme and the urgent need for affordable housing to be addressed at a national level”, said Paul Versteege, Policy Manager for the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association.

13 March 2019

Nine out of seventy Australian BUPA nursing homes are currently under sanctions. The question is: why is BUPA to allow to continue operating as an aged care provider at all?

10 January 2019

“The recommendations from the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into the efficiency and competitiveness of the superannuation industry should be the blueprint for superannuation reform in 2019”, said CPSA Policy Manager Paul Versteege.

17 December 2018

“The Government still has no plan how to help the 82,000 people who will still be waiting after the allocation of 10,000 new high-level Home Care Packages announced today”, said Policy Manager Paul Versteege.

3 December 2018

“Claims in a media release by Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care, the Hon Ken Wyatt MP (Record Growth in Seniors Receiving Home Care Packages, 29 November 2018) are in need of correction”, said CPSA Policy Coordinator Paul Versteege.

12 November 2018

“The decision by Australian federal and state and territory Ministers for Consumer Affairs to ‘encourage businesses not to charge vulnerable or disadvantaged consumers to receive paper bills’ is a classic example of a do-nothing policy”, said CPSA Policy Coordinator Paul Versteege.

17 October 2018

“Cancellation of MRI referrals by GPs for patients 50-and-older from 1 November 2018 is age discriminatory”, said CPSA Policy Manager Paul Versteege.

24 September 2018

“Monday night’s second ABC 4Corners program on aged care has shown in detail just how bad things are in Australia’s nursing homes. CPSA has said it many times: nursing homes are dangerous places and unsuitable for purpose”, said CPSA Policy Coordinator Paul Versteege.

18 September 2018

"Monday night's ABC 4Corners program has shown in graphic detail just how bad things are in many of Australia's nursing homes, with relatives of residents resorting to planting secret cameras to record the evidence of violence and neglect perpetrated against their loved ones", said CPSA Policy Coordinator Paul Versteege.

17 September 2018

Today CPSA is releasing the letter it has written to Prime Minister Scott Morrisson to offer CPSA's participation in the drafting of the Terms of Reference of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. A copy of the letter is attached to this release:

16 September 2018

"Today's announcement of a Royal Commission into Aged Care is welcomed by the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association (CPSA)", said CPSA Policy Coordinator Paul Versteege.

10 September 2018

CPSA is undertaking a survey to find out what our members and constituents want to happen to their digital assets (online accounts such as emails, social media and bank accounts) upon death or incapacity.

5 September 2018

"CPSA welcomes that the Australian Government has finally seen sense and ditched its plan to increase the Age Pension age to 70", said CPSA Policy Coordinator, Paul Versteege.

21 August 2018

"CPSA supports the Private Members' Bill introduced by Cathy McGowan to establish a social security commission", said CPSA Policy Coordinator, Paul Versteege.

20 August 2018

“CPSA welcomes a Private Member’s Bill being introduced into Federal Parliament today by Independent MP Rebekha Sharkie which will force aged care providers to publicly disclose their staffing ratios,” said CPSA Policy Coordinator, Paul Versteege.