Pensioners to get set-top box in budget
- 09 May, 2011 07:41
- Comments 5
Pensioners and small business will be winners in Tuesday's federal budget, Treasurer Wayne Swan says.
Swan confirmed media reports that the government will be giving people who receive the maximum rate of pension a free set-top box as the country moves to a digital television network.
The scheme, costing some $309 million, would include installation and instruction on how to use them.
"Digital television is rolling out across the country, the old system is being turned off, we don't want to leave the pensioners in the dark," Swan told the Nine Network on Sunday.
"So we are going to give them this very important assistance so they have the benefit of digital television."
Swan also said the government would be providing a $5000 write-off on the purchase of a new motor vehicle by small business.
This would come on top of the $5000 instant asset write-off that is due to come in 2012/13, and funded by the minerals resource rent tax.
"This would be a very important measure which will help tradies in terms of their cash flow," Swan said.
"Small business is very much to the forefront of our thoughts because not everybody is going to be in the fast lane (of the economy)."
This would replace the $365 million entrepreneurs tax, he said.
"That's a very narrow measure that only goes to a small number of small business. This will go to the whole 2.7 million businesses if they wish to purchase a vehicle and access this additional benefit."
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Comments
peter knox
The great majority of pensioners already have a set top box or didgitel TV. The real winners will be the retailers and the installers.Besides if set top box will out last the old TV then what?( A HD 26 iinch or 60 centimetre can be purchased now for $295..) the cost of Wayne Swans set top box and instalatiion etc is over $300.
So once again the pensioners get the rough end of the pineapple ... this is just farcical. From the budget Pensioners get nothing.. grr grrr grrrr.
john
i agree somewhat
do you think pensioners getting the maximum pension scheme would actually have a digital tv?
reports on those tv shows have them struggling to pay power and water bills, i'm sure they don't buy many new items. probably most don't even know how to work a PC or use the internet, but would watch tv.
pensioners living in my building in sub penthouses with legal or medical backgrounds who play golf all day and travel the world, these pensioners won't benefit, but they aren't struggling.
but of course a DTV box should be one of many benefits.
if you want to address the issue you would remove any family assistance unless a family is truly poor, like 30k for family of 4. not 150k, and put the extra amount into pensioners and subsidise absolutely all resources that pensioners use, everything. people have no idea what it's like to really struggle as we've been very lucky that the government has put in a lot of support compared to other first world countries. family assistance, public tax cuts, forced tax returns that everyone schemes, baby bonuses, claiming school costs etc.
gnome
Swannee says the govt will give pensioners a $300 STB so they won't be left in the dark.
Meanwhile the same govt is pushing up power and gas bills by more than $300 per home per year. They must think we're all completely stupid.
Ann
I would like the money so that I can be recompensed for the loan I took out to buy a cheap digital TV when my old analogue one broke down.
grumpy is an idiot.
@ grumpy. Power is going up because the privatised electricity companies are not maintained sub-stations or generators. Now we are paying the price. Also NewsFlash NewsFlash,
The Government dosen't set power bill rate.
hurrr durrrhhh it's privatised.
What are you a 60 something national voter?
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