KEY POINTS:
Grey Power says elderly people who were disappointed with the SuperGold card announcement yesterday may have unrealistic expectations and the card will improve as more companies sign up to it.
The card will arrive in pensioners' mailboxes within the next few days, offering discounts from 188 businesses after its launch on Wednesday by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.
Hastings Grey Power branch president John Porter said yesterday that he believed the card - which offered discounts and subsidies on a range of services and items to the over-65s - was effectively a means to nullify what he said was an already successful discount-book scheme which Grey Power had set up. And that would weaken the association's membership base.
But the lobby group's national president, Graham Stairmand, urged patience. "Some [of our members] held very high and probably unrealistic expectations."
He said the scheme was a start and would be built on. "Depending on how the elderly use the card, other contributors will be attracted to join, so in a way it is up to us."
But the group was disappointed the Government had not provided a power discount through its state-owned enterprise power suppliers.
Mr Peters has promised to put pressure on power companies.
- NZPA
