Employer representatives on industry superannuation fund trustee boards should speak up to help blunt the campaign being run by some Government backbenchers around allowing people to use superannuation to help fund a first home deposit.
Former union official and Industry Funds Services stalwart, Garry Weaven suggested to the Conference of Major Superannuation Funds (CMSF) in Adelaide that it would be much harder for the likes of Victorian Liberal back-bencher, Tim Wilson and NSW Liberal Senator, Andrew Bragg, to prosecute their push against superannuation if employer trustees bothered to speak up.
His comments came as ACTU secretary, Sally McManus told the CMSF conference that the superannuation industry needed to get on the front foot with respect to the superannuation debate.
“It is unacceptable to make the mistake of being constantly on the back foot,” McManus said. “They will continue to do it [attack superannuation] until we make sure the practicalities of political self-interest prevail,” McManus said.
Master Builders Australia chief executive, Denita Wawn acknowledged the benefits which would accrue from employer directors getting on the front foot and defending the value of superannuation but said that many directors were simply not into advocacy.
