I can’t see the mainstream media’s commitment to telling us who to vote for being relaxed until the election is over and they’ve safely delivered victory to Tony Abbott. Like me, you’ve probably noticed that they’ve offered not one piece of reasoning as to why we should vote for Abbott. Abbott, neither, has told us much as to why he deserves our vote.

But we have gleaned a few things from which we can form our own opinion and more importantly, decide on whether as Prime Minister he is offering a better alternative.

Over the coming months we’ll be looking at what Tony Abbott offers particular demographics and how they will be affected by what we know of his policies or promises. Today we’ll be taking a look a brief look at the Age Pensioners.

The Age Pension first came into operation in 1909 for eligible males aged 65, and the following year it was awarded to eligible females once they reached 60.

In the 2009 Budget the Government announced the Age Pension age was to increase to 67 years of age from 2023. At the time, this was met with howls of protest suggesting that:

The Federal Government is facing a protest from two of the country’s biggest blue-collar unions against its plans to raise the pension age to 67.

The unions say it’s too much to expect workers in physically demanding industries to stretch their working lives by another two years.

Little known is that the Howard Government legislated for the pension age for women to increase from 60 to 65, incrementally, until 2017.

Those protesters who were outraged at the age increases announced in the 2009 Budget will find no sympathy from Tony Abbott. He belonged to a government that lifted the female age by five years and has publicly announced that he wants it raised to age 70 or above, for both males and females. Among the controversial policy measures in the book Battlelines is a proposal for the pension age to be at least 70.

So if you want the likelihood of an increase in the Age Pension eligibility age then Tony Abbott will welcome your vote.

But what if you are already an Age Pension recipient? How will you be affected if Abbott wins power? We know a little bit, but enough to let you know how it will hit your hip pocket.

Let’s start with the ‘carbon tax’ return:

… from March 20, pensioners will start receiving carbon tax compensation each fortnight. Singles will receive $13.50 a fortnight while couples will receive $20.40.

Ms Macklin said the government was delivering $1 billion a year to pensioners across the country through the carbon tax compensation package.

”In contrast, Tony Abbott and the Liberals have promised to claw back the $1 billion a year support Labor is delivering pensioners,” she said.

”This means every single pensioner in Australia would lose more than $350 a year and every pensioner couple would lose more than $530 a year under an Abbott government.”

Say goodbye to this under an Abbott Government.

How will a vote for Tony Abbott affect your superannuation if you are an age pensioner? That’s also an easy one to answer:

Superannuation has emerged as an election issue, after Opposition leader Tony Abbott confirmed plans to axe a super tax break worth up to $500 a year for 3.6 million low-income earners.

Mr Abbott yesterday pledged there would be “no unexpected changes that are detrimental to people’s superannuation” if he becomes prime minister, but he confirmed a previous announcement that a Coalition government would axe $1 billion a year in super concessions for low-income earners, funded by the mining tax the Coalition also plans to scrap.

That’s another $500 a year age pensioners can say goodbye to.

And neither does he offer any inspiration for those approaching retirement age who face the prospects of not being self-funded retirees.

I would welcome your comments.