Having become increasingly influential, the self-managed super fund (SMSF) industry will push for bipartisan support for superannuation outcomes, according to the head of the SMSF Professionals' Association of Australia (SPAA).
Addressing attendees at the SPAA 10th anniversary gala dinner in Melbourne, the association's CEO, Andrea Slattery, said her organisation and the SMSF sector intends to contribute significantly to political debate around superannuation in the future.
"The SMSF sector represents nearly one million trustees or, put another way, nearly one million voters," Ms Slattery said.
"We do have political clout," she added. "I ask you all to commit to supporting us to get bipartisan support and commitment that super will be Australia's number one vehicle for retirement savings."
Ms Slattery pledged to launch a campaign to push government towards this end, announcing she would be providing details to SPAA members in the near future.
"Debate has moved from superannuation being the primary savings vehicle for Australians in retirement to one that now sees tax concessions for perceived equity outcomes as the main issue," she said.
"SPAA wants to see a bipartisan commitment to the original objective of superannuation - self-sufficiency in retirement."
SPAA patron and former High Court Chief Justice Sir Anthony Mason told the audience that from a policy perspective, "superannuation should be as sacrosanct as the family home".
Guests at the gala event were given a written statement from the Prime Minister Julia Gillard, paying tribute to Ms Slattery and SPAA for their contribution to the superannuation debate.
Despite policy hurdles, Ms Slattery said she was "so confident, so optimistic, about the future of SPAA, the SMSF sector and our broader superannuation system".
