GSA Acheievements

GSA Achievements, 1920-2024.

Here are just some of the main achievements gained Government Superannuitants Association (GSA) and its predecessor, the Superannuated Public Servants Association (SPSA), over the last one hundred years. For further details see: Openshaw, R. (2020). Safeguarding Super. The Government  Superannuitants Association. A Centennial History.

1920: Foundation of SPSA.

1921: First SPSA comprehensive annual meeting held in Christchurch.  First SPSA Petition to Government regarding inadequate annuities of members and dependant spouses. Continuous agitation supported by sympathetic MPs results in widow’s pensions being first supplemented by annual top-up grants. This was followed by the Railways Act, 1926, and the Public Service Superannuation Act, 1927, resulting in increased annuities for retired public servants.

1934: SPSA becomes an incorporated society.

1947: Under the terms of the Superannuation Act, 1947, the widows of male superannuitants could elect either to draw one half of the deceased superannuitants annuity for the duration of her widowhood, or else the sum of the deceased superannuitants, whichever was the greater. However, male spouses had to wait until the mid-1970s to claim half of a female superannuitants annuity, as did second marriage spouses.

1957: Continuous pressure from SPSA over inequities for government superannuitants following the introduction of Universal Superannuation in 1936. In 1957 SPSA became GSA and continued GSA representations to Government brought about an increase in the allowable income of superannuitants for social security purposes. This alleviated a situation whereby many public service superannuitants saw their small annuities “topped up” to the level of Universal Superannuation.

1969: The Government agrees to progressively index annuities against the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This initiated a long battle on behalf of GSA, SPSA’s lineal successor, for a full 100 per cent CoLA, finally achieved in May 1985. Notably, however, this victory did not include pre-1985 superannuitants who were members of the older pre-1984 Superannuation Scheme. Continued GSA pressure culminated in the Neil Leckie Petition. This was placed before Parliament in March 1998, but was subsequently rejected. The issue remains a central GSA concern, as evidenced this year when current GSA President, Alan Straker twice wrote to the Minister of Finance reminding her of the Finance and Expenditure Committee’s ruling in GSA’s favour.   

2008: Pressure from GSA and other like-minded organisations result in an international agreement by which New Zealand government superannuitants resident in Australia would not be subject to double taxation. Subsequent arrangements were to follow with other countries.

2023: Taxation of the Annuity at source was initially to be 40 per cent. GSA and organisations such as PSA resulted in this being reduced to 30 per cent. The shift to indirect taxation ensured that the issue of unfair taxation of the annuity remained a GSA priority.  GSA Council,2023, opted to drop the issue on the grounds that reopening the case might be prejudicial.