"Prosperous and caring?"
Dr. JEFF GARLAND
The Isle of Man Pensioners Association (IOMPA)
approached the DHSS in January 2006 to request that the upper age barrier to
paying national insurance contributions be lifted. This would allow persons not
receiving the Manx Pension Supplement the option of making retrospective
contributions in order to qualify for the supplement.
This approach is a positive indication of IOMPA's wish to resolve disagreement
through compromise: as R.A. Butler pointed out, 'politics is the art of the
possible.'
The Island's current prosperity hailed by Alan Bell (Treasury Minister) in his Budget reminds us all that developing and sustaining 'a prosperous and caring nation' has long been declared as the Government's main priority.
However, when we consider the history of this statement of intent, inconsistencies appear: rhetoric has not always been reflected in reality.
One is reminded of the man who poured his heart out in a note to his lady love and concluded: 'My darling, I'd go through fire and water for you.' He then went to the window, scanned the sky thoughtfully, and returned to his desk to add: 'P.S. 'I won't be coming round tonight - it looks like rain.'
Now the Government has an opportunity to put its priority into practice, and to rise to the challenge of delivering more than just words.
'Prosperous'. The Manx Pension Supplement is a recognition that retired people here deserve to be relatively more prosperous than are their peers in the adjacent island. However, while a substantial body of the nation's pensioners continue to be classed as undeserving, the Government's commitment appears less than whole-hearted.
'Caring' is the display of kindness and concern for others. It is not usually considered selective or subject to distinctions. A Government that in effect insists that all pensioners are equal but some are more equal than others appears less than caring.
'Nation'. It is generally agreed among politicians of all shades of opinion that a nation divided by social inequality is not one nation. A Government that maintains a two-tier system for pensioners appears to be undermining its own status as a guardian of the national identity it purports to sustain.
The Association appreciates that Minister Steve Rodan and his team have shown themselves willing to discuss the issue openly with IOMPA, and hopes that from this dialogue a course of action to resolve a long-standing anomaly will be agreed.