Retirement Commissioner Appointed
· Retirement Commissioner and Periodic Report Group
appointed
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· Diana Crossan has been appointed
Retirement Commissioner, replacing Colin Blair who is
retiring from the role.
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· Ms Crossan’s appointment
was announced today by Social Services and Employment
Minister Steve Maharey, along with the announcement of a
Periodic Report Group who will advise the government on New
Zealand’s retirement income policy.
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· Steve Maharey
said Diana Crossan has the range of skills necessary for the
challenging role of Retirement
Commissioner.
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· “Diana Crossan has a stong
background in the savings industry. She has held senior
management positions in investment, savings and insurance
organisations. She also has experience developing
innovative marketing projects and securing commerical
support for them.
·
· “In addition, she has a good
understanding of the issues facing Maori, Pacific peoples
and women with regard to saving. These are priority issues
for the Retirement Commissioner.
·
· “The Retirement
Commissioner’s role is likely to expand in the future to
encompass monitoring and advising government on retirement
village issues. The present functions include monitoring
retirement income policies and promoting voluntary
retirement savings by New Zealanders. Under the terms of
the Retirement Income Act, Ms Crossan is being appointed
until the next periodic report is presented to Parliament
(due by 31 December 2003).
·
· “I want to place on
record the thanks of the government to Colin Blair. He has
served in this role for many years and has earned the
respect of the industry and political parties alike. With
innovative campaigns like the www.sorted.org.nz website,
Colin Blair and his team have managed the extraordinary feat
of lowering the average age of New Zealanders actively
considering retirement issues from those in their 40s and
50s, to those in their 30s and below,” Steve Maharey
said.
·
· . . / 2 Periodic Report
Group
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· The government is also appointing Vance
Arkinstall (chair), Lynn Middleton and Owen Nash to provide
the next periodic report on retirement income policies.
They will be assisted by the Retirement Commissioner, the
Secretary to the Treasury, the Chief Executive of the
Ministry of Social Development and the Commissioner of
Inland Revenue, or their delegates. The Retirement Income
Act 1993 requires that a Periodic Reporting Group be
established at 6 yearly intervals to prepare a report on the
retirement income policies of the New Zealand
government.
·
· Steve Maharey said the next Periodic
Report is due by 31 December 2003.
·
· “Government
retirement income policies have been the subject of
considerable public and Parliamentary debate in recent
years, culminating in the present government’s decision to
restore the value of superannuation following the 1999
general election and the establishment of the New Zealand
Superannuation Fund to guarantee provision at this level in
the future.
·
· “Accordingly I have asked the
Periodic Report Group to focus on ways to improve private
provision for retirement income. Particular issues include:
how savings for retirement are affected by saving for other
purposes during a person’s working life; the specific issues
faced by women, Maori and Pacific peoples when contemplating
making private provision for retirement income; and how
government policy affects the decisions New Zealanders make
about private retirement income savings,” Steve Maharey
said.
·