Download Fragment

Thursday, 19 December 1912

Senator CHATAWAY (Queensland) . - I think we ought to have some definition of the word "home." Does a home mean a rented house or a house actually owned by the pensioner r

Senator McGregor - A house owned and occupied by the pensioner.

Senator CHATAWAY - A house of any value at all i

Senator McGregor - Yes.

Senator CHATAWAY - A man can hand over his business to the members of his. family, and live in a house owned by himself. In Queensland we had the case of a man who handed over the whole of his property and stock to his son-in-law, who ran the business, while the father-in-law tried to draw the old-age pension. In addition to that it is now proposed to allow the pensioner to keep possession of his home. At present, when a man is found to be living with some of his relatives who are keeping him, an amount is deducted from his pension, because he is receiving his board free, but in this case it seems to me that we are providing the opportunity for the perpetration of a good deal of fraud on the Treasury. I do not think it is intended that a man should be allowed to live in his own house and hand over his business to his relatives.

Senator Findley - Under the Act he cannot do that. Let the honorable senator read paragraph / of section 17.

Senator CHATAWAY - That paragraph reads -

You have to prove intent in that case - that he did these things in order to qualify for a pension. There are notorious cases where men have drawn pensions in contravention of the law, and the Department has not been able to find them out.

Clause agreed to.

Clause 9 (Amendment of section 26).

---