1) The document discusses the rising cost of living and financial struggles, even for those considered well-off such as a Supreme Court judge in Queensland, Justice John Byrne. 2) Justice Byrne is challenging his late mother's will that left most of her $17 million estate to a veterinary hospital rather than him and his brother. 3) Though Justice Byrne earns $381,691 annually as a judge, he claims his expenses are at least $118,200 per year, leaving him with little savings and motivating him to seek more from his mother's estate for a comfortable retirement.

1. The risingcost ofliving
Russell Grenning
We all worryabout the risingcostof living andatmy age the cost of livingisgoingupat the same
rate the chancesof livingare goingdown. EarlierthisyearIconsultedafinancial planningexpert
and afterreviewingmyfinanceshe concludedthatIhave enoughmoneytolasta lifetime if Idon’t
buyanythinganddie nextThursday.
Let’sface it: life isjustone damnedthingafteranother. Andwhatisthe use of happiness?Itcan’t
buyyou money.
I dancedthe nightaway in1976 to the Abba numberone hit “Money,money,money”butittookme
nearlyfortyyearsto actuallyreflectonthe lyrics andrealise how stupidtheyare.Ihave concluded
that itis neitherfunnynorsunnyina richman’s worldand,incidentally,itisonlynow thatI have
realisedthe ironyof Abbamakingmore moneythanGodby singingatune about poverty.
All of thishappenedwhenIreadaboutthe desperate plightof The Honourable Justice JohnByrne
QC AO RFD of the QueenslandSupreme Courtwhohasto try andmake endsmeeton a pitiful annual
remunerationof only$381,691.
Justice Byrne hasoutlinedhowtoughlife isonthatsalaryina court affidavit.He andhisbrother
RobertByrne are challengingtheirlate mother’sWill whichleftmostof her$17 million estate toa
veterinaryhospital,leavinghimonlyalifetime share inafamilyproperty.Robertgotnothing.
Accordingto HisHonour’saffidavit,theirmotherMrsNevaByrne’sWill,signedoff in1995, reflected
her“unshakeableviewthatmaleswere more worthy than females” andthat herWill had been
drawnto try and make sure that hispartner JenniferColemanandRobert’swife Mirellacouldnever
everbenefitfromherestate.And,he added,hisgrandmotherthattoldhimthat hismotherbelieved
“no girl will be good enough foryou”.
I nevermetMrs NevaByrne but she certainlyappearstohave beenawomanof some character if
not to saysome eccentricity.Isuspectthatmy ownmothersharedherview aboutthe girlsI dated
wayback when – theywere alwaysdammedwithfaintpraise like, “Welldear,she seemsto be a nice
girl buther dresssenseisn’t something to be envied” or “She’sa very quietand shy girl dear,isn’t
she?If you are going to havea successfulcareer,you will need a wifewho can socialise.”
It seems,accordingtoHis Honour,that Mrs Byrne was poisedtowrite anotherWill whenherdog
diedinthat veterinaryhospital butdiedbefore itwasfinalised.
Presumably,thisnew Willwouldhave beenaclearrecognitionthatthe veterinaryhospitalwas
unworthyof herbeneficence giventhattheywere careless enoughtoletherbelovedpoochdie and
that Justice Byrne andhisbrotherwouldhave gota decentslabeachof mummy’sfortune.
Nowan oldage single pensionerwhoisgettingthe maximum$22,542 a yearmightthinkthat a
Supreme Courtjudge’sannual $381,691 isn’tall that bad buthow wrong that pensionerwouldbe.
In fact,His Honourhas statedthe brutal truth in hiscourt affidavit.He isaman of greatintegrityand
knowsbetterthanmostthat an affidavitmustbe strictlyfactual.

2. He wrote,“My incomeas a judgeis sufficientto meet my living costs” – gosh,that’sa relief buthe
goeson to admit– “From my salary,I do not save.I estimatethatmy annualexpensesarenotless
than $118,200.”
That meanshismodest lifestylecostshimamiserly$4,546 a fortnight–and it couldbe more –
whichsuggeststome that he mayjustbe able to have the occasional outing.
Nowhisbefore tax income isabout $14,689 a fortnightcomparedtoa single pensioneronthe full
rate of about $867 a fortnightbut,then again,full-rate pensionersdon’tpayincome tax sothey
shouldn’twhinge,shouldthey?
And,by the way,His Honouralsorevealedinthataffidavitthathasassetsof $8.8 millionandexpects
to retire onan indexedpensionof more than$10,000 a fortnight. Goodheavensabove,thank
goodnesshe hasthose assetsotherwise he hisretirementcouldbe verybleak,financiallyspeaking.
Hence hisneedtoget a decentslice of mummy’s$17 millionestate.Imeanjusthow couldacouple
possiblyleadadecentretirementlifestyle ononly$10,000 a fortnight?
Fortunately,JusticeByrne,66,has aboutfour more yearson the benchbefore the sheerhorrorof
hispossiblyimpecuniousretirementlooms.
I certainlywishhimwell inhisquesttotryand ensure thathisretirementisone of quietdignity.