Because they lived and worked here in the past - for five years in the 1960s in Ms Tokley's case - Australia pays a pro-rata portion of their pension under reciprocal welfare agreements. Ms Tokley believes Australia contributes about $30 a week to her pension. But in December she got the full $1400 stimulus payment. And so did every other non-resident, non-citizen who - because they are from one of the countries in our reciprocal pension deal - are entitled to a full or part-pension from Australia. If they are couples, they got the full $2100 stimulus bonus. With a favourable exchange rate, Ms Tokley's $1400 became $NZ1658. "It does sound ridiculous," she admits. "But I'm not going to say, `No, I don't want it.' Who would say I don't want $1600? No way." Asked how she spent the money, she at first said: "I can't remember. I think I got my teeth fixed, or new glasses. Something like that." Later she corrected the record: "No, I know what I did. I took a holiday to the South Island. I'm a tramper. That's a trekker, but we call it tramping here. Yes, I had 16 days tramping in the South Island." Lovely? "Yes, thank you." Why not Tasmania? The Australian Government might have preferred you went tramping over here. "I couldn't afford that."

The office of the Minister for Families and Community Services, Jenny Macklin, confirmed that the stimulus bonus went to 69,000 overseas pensioners in December. But most of these were Australian citizens living overseas and her spokeswoman could not break it down to reveal the number of non-citizens getting the money. The Opposition had already decried giving it to even Australians living abroad so they could stimulate the economies of Ireland, Cyprus, Italy and so on. A Centrelink manager told a parliamentary committee that - based on a figure of about 60,000 pensioners overseas - it could amount to $75 million. Under its international obligations, the Government had explained, it could not exclude one-off payments - even those meant to stimulate the local economy - from payments to Australians overseas. But nor, it now emerges, can it exclude non-Australians living overseas. Ms Tokley is far from alone. A Bondi reader told the Herald of her surprise at receiving "a phone call from Germany, where my ex-husband resides for the last 46 years, after working several years in Australia". He, too, got the $1400. It was galling for the woman who, at 67, still works and is entitled to none of the stimulus money. Her ex-husband has not lived here since about 1963. "I cannot begin to imagine how huge a sum of money has left our country and is stimulating other economies!" she said.

The Government can't quite imagine, either, it seems. Ms Macklin's office could not put a figure on the stimulus money going to non-citizens. In Auckland, Ms Tokley received a letter that began: "This payment is being made to Australians who . . ." The intention seemed clear. It was meant for Australians. Ms Macklin's spokeswoman said the reciprocal pension deal also worked in Australia's favour. "These agreements help to make sure Australians get social security protection when they move to particular countries, or when people from other countries move to Australia the government of the country in which they have spent most of their working years contributes to their support accordingly." But she had no answer for the following questions: Why can't the stimulus payments be disentangled from pensions? Why, at least, can't they be paid pro rata, like the pension, to reflect the years of work and paying tax in Australia? How much of the new stimulus package, if any, will go overseas?

Ms Tokley told the Herald: "If it's any consolation, I am planning a trip to Australia." Loading While tramping she met some Australians who recommended Nitmiluk National Park in the Northern Territory. She will tramp there in August or September, and she will stay at least a month or two. "So you'll be getting your own back, after all." But what of all the others? Kevin Rudd might consider sending them a postcard. Centrelink has their addresses. "Wish you were here," he might write. Or: "Where the bloody hell are you?"