Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1)

notes that:

(a)

Australia has an ageing population;

(b)

age discrimination exists within Australia and that this discrimination impacts on the strength of society, economy and the lives of older Australians;

(c)

ageing should not only be considered as an economic and social cost to government, rather, the positives of an older population should be recognised and promoted by government;

(d)

all older Australians deserve to live with dignity; and

(e)

the knowledge, life experience and skills of older people provide enormous benefit to Australia and the social fabric of the nation;

(2)

acknowledges that:

(a)

older workers have the ability to make an enormous contribution to the economic prosperity of Australia;

(b)

most volunteer work is undertaken by older Australians and provides an enormous economic social contribution to Australia; and

(c)

older Australians provide an enormous amount of child care which provides economic value to the nation; and

(3)

calls on the Government to consider:

(a)

new and innovative approaches to engage older Australians and address their needs;

(b)

encouraging Government departments to introduce senior friendly practices, such as dedicated seniors phone lines and customer service officers;

(c)

Aged Care Accounts for all workers to fund their needs as they become older; and

(d)

highlighting and promoting the advantage of employing older workers.

Australia has an ageing population. It is not a phenomenon restricted to Australia—rather, it is a phenomenon that is being experienced by most developed countries. The general response is one of despair and hysteria at the cost of an ageing population and its impost on a country’s GDP. In Australia we have two reports that looked at our ageing population. The first was the Intergenerational report delivered in conjunction with the 2002-03 budget and the second was included in the Australia to 2050: future challenges report. Both reports highlight the cost associated with an ageing population, but neither discuss possible benefits.

In the Intergenerational report one of the first points that was made was that a steadily ageing population is likely to continue to place significant pressure on Commonwealth government finances. That shows right from the outset that the approach of the Howard government at that stage was towards looking at the cost, removing that cost and dealing with that cost.

Similarly, Australia to 2050: future challenges identifies ageing with spending pressures. It states, ‘Ageing of the Australian population will contribute to substantial pressures on government spending over the next 40 years.’ It goes on to project an increase to 27.1 per cent of GDP in 2049-50 on ageing related spending. It continues along the same lines as those of previous governments, highlighting the costs to Australia of an ageing population. It talks about issues such as health spending associated with an ageing population as well as other aspects that relate to it such as aged care spending.

I then looked at the Productivity Commission’s report Economic implications of an ageing Australia. Apart from a section on volunteering, it also concentrates on the cost to Australia of an ageing population. It talks about the percentage of Australians who will be over the age of 65 by 2044-45 and looked at the fact that improved life expectancy and control over our fertility was contributing to this ageing population. After reading all the reports that I managed to get my hands on, I could be forgiven for thinking that Australians being healthier and living longer is actually something that should be avoided. I mentioned that the Productivity Commission’s report referred to the fact that volunteering did make a contribution to our economy. It mentions the figure of $21 billion to $30 billion for volunteer work done within the community. The majority of volunteer work is performed by people over the age of 45. If you factor in the informal childcare arrangements, that figure goes up to $42 billion—quite a significant contribution.

It is little wonder, given these reports and the general attitude that exists, that ageism and age discrimination have become rampant in Australia. As a nation, we tend to look at negatives instead of promoting positives. I congratulate the Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, and the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, for the creation of a full-time commissioner for age discrimination. This is the first step in addressing age discrimination. Ageism and age discrimination are very subtle. They are hidden barriers that work as major disincentives to older Australians continuing in paid employment and being able to enjoy the life choices and quality of life enjoyed by other Australians.

Ageism is based on stereotypes and so entrenched in our society that it is accepted as the norm. Young people are vital, vibrant, creative—what we all aspire to be. Industry advertising is based on making people look younger, whilst mature members of our society are portrayed as tired, worn out, inflexible and not having anything to offer. Implicit in this is the concept that young is good and something we should all aspire to, whilst old is bad and something that we want to avoid. When the new member for Longman was elected at the age of 20, it was hailed as a new era in politics. I wonder how the election of an 80-year-old to parliament would have been received. I suspect it would have got the opposite response. The COTA website lists some of the myths and realities about ageing, and I will share some of these with the House tonight. They include the following:

MYTH Ageing equals sickness, disability and dementia.

REALITY Two out of three people aged 65 years and over rate their health as good to excellent.

MYTH Older people are a burden on society.

REALITY 80% of people 70 years and over live independently without help from care services.

MYTH The ageing of the population is a looming crisis.

REALITY People are living longer, many enjoying an active and healthy older age.

The list of myths goes on, and I will seek to table it at the end of my speech. The challenge for our society is to put aside these myths and address this discrimination. I have worked to utilise and harness the valuable resources senior Australians offer our nation. The starting point is to end discrimination in the workplace. The majority of age discrimination complaints received by the Human Rights Commission in 2008-09 related to employment, and most of those related to the employment of people over the age of 45. It is important to note that unemployment is the greatest cause of poverty; so by denying employment to older Australians you are denying them financial security.

The ageist culture that exists in Australia makes it possible for employers and recruiters to discriminate against older workers. Recruiting companies usually place in employment workers under the age of 45. The employees of those companies invariably screen out mature workers, and this means that employers do not even get the opportunity to consider older workers. Older workers are deemed to have outdated work skills, to be unable to learn new skills, to be overqualified and too experienced, to be inefficient and to be at risk of developing a disability—which in turn is another form of discrimination.

I refer members to a paper published by the Australian Human Rights Commission titled Age discrimination—exposing the hidden barrier for mature age workers, as it details the issue more graphically. The government recognises that Australia is not harnessing the skills and the expertise of mature workers, and this recognition along with the appointment of an age discrimination commissioner are vital steps that will address the needs of older Australians. In the lead-up to the last election, the government committed to introducing a new, improved work bonus. This legislation has been introduced into the parliament, and the new, improved work bonus will commence on 1 July. The government has also delivered pension reforms, and in the lead-up to the last election it made a number of commitments to older Australians.

As our society ages, Australia needs to look at new and innovative ways to meet the needs of senior Australians. It is imperative that we develop a system that will ensure the long-term financial security of older Australians, which means greater emphasis on employment, superannuation and other financial initiatives. The long-term viability of our aged-care sector needs to be addressed and initiatives such as aged-care accounts, similar to the social insurance scheme that operates in Germany, should be considered. The establishment of dedicated lines for seniors in government departments has been successful in other jurisdictions and is worthy of investigation. There is a need for a government campaign to address ageism in our society and this needs to be included in our education system. It needs to be looked at from preschool to universities, where our doctors, lawyers and social workers are trained. They need to rid themselves of negative stereotypes. Finally, I would like to see Australia lead the push for a binding international agreement that deals specifically with the rights of older people.

Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion. I congratulate the member for Shortland for bringing this motion to the House. I know her passion for the seniors in our society is strong. It is great that we share a role in the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing, as we do with the member for Hindmarsh, who is sitting in the chair at the moment. It is great to be able to rise tonight and speak to this motion. Obviously, as the Deputy Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing, I am pleased to speak on this motion. It provides a welcome reminder of the crucial role that seniors play in Australian society.

Australia has an ageing population. There is no doubt about that. The 2010 Intergenerational report, produced by Treasury last year, shows that Australia’s population of over 65s is set to increase from three million in 2010 to 8.1 million in 2050. Proportionally, this represents an increase from 13.5 per cent to 22.7 per cent. Almost one-quarter of Australians will be aged over 65 by 2050, and this should focus the attention of all members in this place. I think all of us would agree that the government’s current systems and structures are not capable of coping with such change. We are running out of time to get the structures in place. The demographic change is happening now. The Intergenerational report shows that by 2020 there will be an extra 1.2 million seniors and the proportion of over 65s will rise to 16.4 per cent of the total Australian population. We must prepare now. That is why I have kept a close eye on this government’s policies on ageing and, in particular, its aged-care policies.

It is important to discuss aged care when considering this motion because pressure on the aged-care system is perhaps one of the most talked about consequences of our ageing population. The distinction between community and residential aged-care concerns, as outlined in Grant Thornton’s Aged care survey, is well known and understood by the public. Most of my constituents tell me that they want to stay in their homes for as long as possible. I think the Howard government recognised this, acknowledging that the investment in community based aged care was as important as investment in residential aged care. Residential aged care is usually divided into low care and high care.

For a long time, controversy has surrounded the subject of issuing bonds for aged residential care. The recent crisis has stemmed from the fact that the government funding mechanism for residential beds no longer reflects the real cost of providing a bed in the 21st century. Year after year, government bed offers remain unallocated despite unprecedented demand for beds. This is because aged-care providers simply cannot afford to provide even basic care at the government subsidy rate. The situation is worrying seniors across my electorate of Swan and, I am sure, across most of Australia.

Recently an aged-care provider in my electorate, Swan Care, circulated a petition calling for residents to let Canberra know about the right of Australians to quality care. I support this petition and am pleased it has had a good response from residents in Victoria Park in the heart of my electorate of Swan. I understand this petition is currently with the Petitions Committee and the government will soon be required to respond.

Whilst there is certainly plenty for the government to do in relation to aged care, we must resist seeing an ageing population as a challenge or a problem. Instead we should see it as an opportunity. In the Intergenerational report the government used negative language, seeing seniors as a burden and a challenge that the government must find a solution to. We in the coalition take a different approach. We believe that people living longer and healthier lives should be a cause for celebration. Far from being a burden, all seniors are taxpayers, paying the GST and many other hidden taxes, and continue to contribute to the economy and to the welfare of all Australians. I note that the member moving this motion has acknowledged that the positives of an older population should be recognised and promoted by the government and I congratulate her for that.

The second part of this motion acknowledges the potential of older Australians to provide an enormous contribution to the economic prosperity of Australia. There are many seniors in my electorate of Swan that continue to work after the retirement age. This is commendable and a sign of things to come as we live longer and healthier lives. The Assistant Treasurer is in the House tonight. One of the things that many of the seniors in my electorate talk to me about is the fact that there is a disincentive for them to do part-time work. That is something that perhaps the Assistant Treasurer could look at. Seniors avoid doing work at universities and schools at exam times because of the penalties they face after earning a certain income over a certain amount of time. That work is not being done by seniors who are quite capable of doing it. I get the sense that many seniors do not re-enter the workforce, however much they might want to, because of a combination of age discrimination and regulations, which I just spoke about.

Age discrimination is a genuine problem that requires a genuine solution. During the 2010 election, the coalition announced the seniors employment incentive payment policy—a good initiative to tackle age discrimination in the workplace. The policy would provide a one-off payment to employees to help overcome their initial reluctance to appoint older job seekers. This was a genuine attempt to tackle age discrimination. The coalition should rightly take some credit for taking this proposal to the electorate and the government should take note of it.

Most members in this place would agree that if seniors want to work and contribute to Australian society they should be free and able to do so. Many retired people say to me that they are reluctant to get involved in the workplace again, however much they want to, for fear of losing their entitlements. This means that in some circumstances it makes no economic sense for some seniors to contribute to the workforce, even if they are available and willing to do so. At a time when skills shortages loom again, this seems a great shame. An example of what we could be missing comes from the work of Inge Dahners, a lady I nominated for the WA Senior of the Year awards. Inge’s efforts working for Southcare in Manning earned her the runner-up award. I also spent time with Maggie Richardson, who won a seniors award last year. Maggie is an important contributor to the local communities and associations in my electorate. The member for Shortland spoke about the value of volunteer work by the seniors in our population.

The overall complexity of the government system is a point that the member for Shortland has also picked up on, with part of her motion suggesting that the government consider aged-care accountants for all workers to fund their needs as they become older. This may well be a good idea: many elderly people come to my office for help in completing government forms. The complexity of getting older is perhaps something that the parliament needs to address.

The motion goes on to acknowledge that most volunteer work is undertaken by older Australians and recognises that seniors provide a significant amount of child care to the nation. Both these points are valid, especially within my electorate of Swan. As the federal member, I am fortunate to be able to visit many voluntary and charitable organisations in the electorate. The majority of the volunteers who put in the hard yards at these organisations are seniors. In fact, it would be fair to say that many voluntary organisations would not be able to function without seniors It is certainly true that seniors play an important role with child care as well. This is plain to see at meetings of the Grandcare group, which supports grandparents who, for one reason or another, have the duty of raising their grandchildren. I always try to attend their events and am always impressed by their absolute and unquestionable dedication. Grandparents who have taken on the role of parenthood, some of whom are in their 60s and 70s, are not compensated by either the state or federal government.

In conclusion, I thank the member for Shortland for putting this motion before the House. Barring an unprecedented baby boom, Australia’s population is going to age. The fact that people are living longer and healthier lives should be a matter for celebration. However, we must plan for the future to ensure that all older Australians can live fulfilling and active lives and, most importantly, can live with dignity. I call on the government to provide this to senior Australians in my electorate of Swan and across Australia.

Craig Thomson (Dobell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Shortland for moving this motion on older Australians. We share a common border in some communities that contain some very impressive and dedicated aged communities. I also commend the member for Swan for his contribution. He is a man of great compassion and always makes a good contribution to debates on these types of issues and he did so again today.

My electorate is what Australia is going to be like in 20 years time. Over 25 per cent of the population in my electorate is over 65 years of age. So much of the debate that we hear in the media and in public about generational change and what is going to happen in the future is already happening on the Central Coast of New South Wales. We have some experience of that in fact. The Dean of the University of Newcastle medical school told me that our area is ripe for study by medical schools for the very reason that it is what Australia will look like in the future. The sorts of issues and problems we have in health care and aged care on the Central Coast can be studied because it mirrors the Australia of the future.

Before I get on to a little bit more detail about some of the issues that affect my electorate specifically, I will talk about federal Labor’s record. The member for Swan expressed some disappointment with this government’s performance, and I am a little bit disappointed in him about that. I think he should have been a bit more charitable, because this government has always stood for fairness for older Australians and has done more for older Australians in three years than the previous government did in 12. The Gillard Labor government is committed to a strong and secure economy so it can provide services such as world-class hospitals and aged-care facilities for older Australians. In relation to aged care funding, for example, the level of funding per resident has grown significantly faster than CPI due to indexation and policy changes. There has been a three per cent average annual increase in CPI—6.3 per cent average annual increases in funding per resident from all sources—over the last three years, but there has been a 20.1 per cent increase in income per resident over the last three years. We have put our money where our policy mouth is and made sure that those who are in aged care are being looked after and are being provided with more money than they were in the past.

We have also delivered one of the biggest reforms to the age pension in more than 100 years. Over the last year, our pension reforms have driven increases for pensioners: the age pension is now worth an extra $100 a fortnight for a single pensioner and an extra $74 for couples combined. We increased the utilities allowance by around $400 to provide support for the increasing cost of gas, water and electricity. New pension indexation arrangements will make sure that the pension keeps pace with the cost of living. Federal Labor has increased the single pension from 25 per cent to 27.7 per cent of male total average weekly earnings and will keep the benchmark at this higher level. We have introduced a new pensioner living costs index. Our changes are affordable and sustainable. The Commonwealth seniors card was introduced by a former federal Labor government, and the Gillard Labor government has continued to deliver for self-funded retirees. We have delivered a new seniors supplement for self-funded retirees who have a Commonwealth seniors card, now worth $795 a year. We have also delivered a national transport concession scheme to give state senior cardholders concessions when they travel interstate and provide more senior access to free internet in their community through a national rollout of our broadband seniors program. As part of our economic plan, Labor will also give seniors a tax break on savings accounts. A new, 50 per cent discount on up to $1,000 of interest earned by individuals, including interest earned on deposits held in banks, building societies, credit unions and annuity products, will benefit around 740,000 self-funded retirees and age pensioners.

To help mature age workers save for their retirement, federal Labor will allow individuals aged 50 and over with total superannuation balances below $500,000 to make up to $50,000 per annum in concessional superannuation contributions. This will start on 1 July 2012, and doubles the cap of $25,000 which was scheduled to apply. Federal Labor has also acted decisively to protect self-funded retirees from the full impact of the global financial crisis, providing draw-down relief for three consecutive years as well as economic stimulus payments.

When you compare that to the coalition’s record, you find the comments from the member for Swan quite surprising. The coalition failed to increase the base pension beyond indexation in 12 years. The Leader of the Opposition and the cabinet of the former coalition government actively rejected a proposal to increase the single age pension. When he was shadow minister, Tony Abbott said he thought federal Labor’s pension increase was not affordable—but he will make pensioners pay more for their groceries to pay for his unfair paid parental leave scheme. Tony Abbott’s new tax on thousands of Australian companies like supermarkets, petrol stations and power companies will increase prices for pensioners. Tony Abbott will scrap Labor’s reforms to superannuation, including lower fees, tax breaks on savings and incentives for mature age workers that will give more Australians increased support in their retirement.

The member for Swan quite rightly raised the issue of being able to work and earn money and not have that affect the pension—but it is Labor that has delivered in this area. It is an important issue for Australians generally, as our productivity growth has certainly been low in comparison to OECD standards and much lower than it was 10 years ago. Encouraging older Australians to work is important for the economy and provides opportunities for older Australians to contribute and provide valuable expertise in the areas that they seek to work. Many age pensioners take on part-time and occasional work, and they should be encouraged and rewarded for their valuable contributions to our community.

The work bonus allows pensioners to keep more of the money they earn from part-time work. It disregards an amount of employment income from the pension income test. The work bonus was introduced as part of Labor’s 2009 pension reforms. Many age pensioners want to undertake part-time, seasonal or contract work but are concerned about the impact on their pension. From 1 July 2011 the Gillard government will introduce a new, more generous work bonus for age pensioners. It will increase the amount an age pensioner can earn before affecting their pension. The new work bonus will allow age pensioners to earn up to $250 a fortnight without it being assessed as income under the income test. Under these changes, the work bonus can be annualised. This means pensioners will now be able to build up any unused amount of their $250 bonus every fortnight for up to 12 months. This actively encourages and enables more older Australians to work and contribute to the workforce.

In the time remaining I would like to talk about some local issues and particularly pay tribute to the Toukley senior citizens—with whom I know the member for Shortland has also had a very long and close relationship. Toukley used to be in the electorate of Shortland but is now in the electorate of Dobell. Under the stewardship of Bruce Kirkness at the Toukley and District Senior Citizens Club, we have an activity centre that provides a vast range of activities. It gets older Australians out of their houses, contributing to the community and being active, and they are made to feel part of our local community. At one stage the club had more than 5,000 members and was the largest seniors group in the Southern Hemisphere. It still has one of the largest memberships in Australia. The club does a fantastic job for the people of Toukley, Gorokan and the north of my electorate and those in the south of the member for Shortland’s electorate.

This is an important motion. We need to make sure that we provide every opportunity for older Australians to contribute to the Australian economy. We need to make sure that they are not discriminated against, that they have work opportunities and that they can play a part in our local communities. The member for Shortland should be commended for bringing this motion to the House. I seek leave to table a document on behalf of the member for Shortland.

Leave granted.

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In speaking to this motion, let me say at the outset how fortunate we are as a parliament that the member for Shortland has seen fit to bring forward this motion. It states some very obvious truths but also encourages our consciences to look at what we as a nation owe to those people who have contributed so much to make sure that our country, Australia, is such a wonderful place in which to live. The member for Shortland highlighted—through a very cleverly worded list of points in her motion—some of the challenges confronting older Australians. I think they are challenges that we collectively, as elected representatives, ought to try to make easier for older Australians to face.

We are as a nation extremely fortunate. We live in relative peace. Most residents are respectful of others and their rights. We have a wonderful lifestyle, and we have a laid-back appreciation for the many good things that we have. Older Australians, in particular, are extremely altruistic. While many of us tend to look at issues on the basis of the hip-pocket nerve, often older Australians will say, ‘This government decision is not good for us personally but it is good for our kids and our grandkids and therefore is good for the country.’ Older Australians have worked hard and have helped to encourage the world to recognise that Australia is a civilised country, a good international citizen and a country which, as the years go on, will play an increasingly important part in the world.

Despite hardships including the global economic crisis and, more recently, the terrible floods and Cyclone Yasi, which have brought real tragedy and hardship into the lives of many, as a nation we still do our best to keep a smile on our faces and look at the bright side of life. All of us would have seen on television the pictures of older Australians who had lived in their communities for their entire lives and who lost everything. We saw how cheerful they were, how optimistic they were and how, while they wanted some government assistance, they did not expect government to do everything for them. Older Australians are role models for younger Australians. They have values, they have standards, they have principles and they have ethics that younger Australians could, on many occasions, do well to emulate.

The tendencies and the characteristics of older Australians are those which we all admire and which make us proud as individuals and as a nation. Of course, we all recognise that one of the challenges that our nation faces is the increasing age of our population. We have a declining birth rate—which is, happily, not quite as declining as it once was—and we have an ageing population. We are also fortunate that we have a lengthening life span, and that, along with modern medicine, brings other challenges and opportunities. It can be extremely expensive for a community to meet the costs of medicine and technology which can prolong life and improve quality of life, but I think that we as a country really ought to do whatever we can, because we are in effect repaying a debt to people who have helped to make this nation as great as it is.

It is often said that compulsory superannuation will solve all of our problems; it will not. Compulsory superannuation will go some way towards meeting the costs of an extended life span, but it is important to recognise that not everyone has the ability to maintain the same standard of living in retirement that they enjoyed during their working lives. The term ‘ageing population’ is well known in discussion circles and in the media, and it is important to see our ageing population not as a problem but as a challenge. We need to make sure that we as a country engage as much as possible the very many talents of older Australians. As life expectancy extends, we need to encourage as much as possible those older Australians to continue to contribute productively to Australian society.

On the Sunshine Coast we have lots of older Australians who are retired and who are active and energetic. Frankly, without the input of older Australians on the Sunshine Coast, our volunteering organisations would not be able to perform as they do, they would not be able to do the wonderful job that they do, and our community would be very much for the poorer. Governments cannot afford to pay for every service, and older Australians, through their active involvement in community organisations, have an incredible ability, an incredible capacity and an incredible record in making sure that their fellow Australians enjoy a wonderful lifestyle and a wonderful standard of life. It is important that we never lose sight of the benefits and advantages of an ageing population that includes citizens who are sensible, mature, skilled, caring, responsible and respectable and who are still able to contribute much to our Australian society.

We have lots of seniors and retirees who want to be involved in charity work, and thank heavens that such a thing occurs in our society. Our community organisations need these older Australians, and they ask for very little. What we as elected representatives have to do—and I suggest this in a bipartisan way—is to recognise that contribution and at times give a little bit of extra assistance to people to whom we as a community owe so much.

In the time available to me, I would like to briefly draw attention to a number of hardworking senior members of the community in my electorate of Fisher on the Sunshine Coast and highlight very clearly the value of our older residents. Dawn Chalkley and Eric Brusewitz, who live at Kawana Waters, have had years of experience in organising charity drives. In retirement they have continued to use their know-how to benefit the community in such matters. They launched and managed a collection drive in early 2009 to help the victims of the Victorian bushfires, and that successful campaign was followed by support for the flood victims. That campaign had a wonderful response and was extraordinarily successful. Eric and Dawn were passionate about the need and they were determined to make a difference. They worked hard despite some minor challenging medical conditions which made it extra difficult. They are examples of the value of the experience, wisdom and maturity of older Australians.

Another hardworking senior in our community is Florence Woods of Maleny. Mrs Woods was the recipient of the Fisher Citizen of the Year award on Australia Day this year for her efforts through various community groups. She has worked hard to make a real difference for her fellow citizens for over 25 years. In conjunction with the Fisher Australia Day Committee, I was pleased to be able to present this award to someone who is so passionate about staying active and helping her community. Mrs Woods has volunteered with the Maleny Show Society catering committee for 25 years, where she is regularly seen marshalling the troops at the annual show. She has also been the chairperson of the youth fellowships at her Presbyterian church for 20 years and president of Erowal Nursing Home auxiliary for 10 years. On top of that, Mrs Woods has been with the Maleny Hospital auxiliary for five years and the Maleny Busy Needles for the past three years. She has been an energetic and committed community worker and she has made an incredibly positive and practical difference to her fellow citizens in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

These examples highlight the energy, commitment and willingness to help that is common among senior Australians. They highlight the value of older Australians and retirees who may be retired and no longer working for wages but who are still working to make a difference in the community. The knowledge, experience and skills of mature people like Dawn, Eric, Florence and many others in Fisher on the Sunshine Coast and around the nation provide a great benefit to the local community.

I think that volunteer work carried out by older Australians is volunteer work which we as an entire community should encourage, and we should facilitate other people to perform in a similar way. These people are altruistic, they love Australia, they have helped to make us great, and they want to make this nation an even more wonderful place in which to live.

Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commend the member for Shortland for her obvious dedication to improving the lives of our senior citizens as evidenced by this motion. There is no doubt that older Australians provide an invaluable source of wisdom and contribution in various ways to our community. Unfortunately, this contribution is not always appropriately recognised and encouraged. I believe, however, that the current government is on the right track towards recognising and improving the status of elderly Australians. The current work bonus giving incentives to senior Australians to encourage them to continue to participate in the workforce is particularly significant given the current dynamics of Australia’s ageing community. The initiative recognises that older people have a lot to offer, and it is important that we recognise that their contribution not only to the workforce but to the community in general is highly valued.

Federal Labor recently delivered what can only be considered the biggest reform to the age pension in more than 100 years. The reform, which increased the pension by $100 a fortnight to single pensioners, has truly made a difference in managing everyday living costs for those individuals. The recently introduced initiative to provide better aged-care facilities for elderly Australians of non-English-speaking backgrounds is a great step towards improving the quality of life for this unique group of Australians. Equipping aged-care service providers to deliver appropriate aged care to older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds is extremely significant in my electorate, which, as you are aware, Mr Deputy Speaker Scott, is the most culturally diverse electorate in Australia.

I have the distinct honour of having a very close relationships with a number of senior associations in my electorate, most of which cater to the members of different cultural groups. I wish to name a couple. Firstly, the New South Wales Vietnamese Elderly Friendship Association has over 2,000 members in south-west Sydney. It is one of the most prominent associations of its kind and a true role model for other organisations seeking to cater to the elderly from unique cultures. I have visited the organisation on a number of occasions and I was truly touched by the spirit of friendship and the general zest for life of its members.

The organisation, under the president, Mr Mieng Van Nguyen, a committed and highly motivated leader, provides members with various sources of entertainment but, more importantly, social interaction as well as education. The association is currently undertaking the ambitious task of setting up a library room to provide facilities for learning English as well as helping the seniors to develop their computer and internet skills so they can fully participate not only in the local community but also in Vietnam.

The Indo-Chinese Elderly Hostel with President Mr Harry Tang is another culturally specific aged-care facility in my electorate. Its members, as well as the management, were extremely grateful to receive recognition from the Commonwealth by being awarded 32 new aged-care beds as part of the government’s current round of aged-care approvals. The association’s role in ensuring that senior citizens in the broader Chinese community have access to quality aged care is highly commendable.

Another organisation I will quickly mention is the Cardinal Stepinac Village, an aged-care facility with a difference for elderly migrants from Croatia. I was particularly touched by the initiative of the CEO, Matt Smolcic, and the president of the board, Mr Milan Bogovich, to hold a fundraising evening to raise money for the Queensland floods. To take from one’s own pension and give to fellow Australians is a quality that younger generations can be truly inspired by. What really struck me from my visit to Cardinal Stepinac Village were the awards that they gave to staff, particularly volunteers. Oddly enough, as the member for Fisher just indicated, most of the volunteers are elderly people. A number were actually residents of the village as well as young people. The wisdom, the knowledge of life that is acquired with age— (Time expired).

Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the main points of the motion put forward by the member for Shortland. My electorate of McPherson has a significant number of older Australians and, in my opinion, they make a considerable contribution to our community. Today there are two specific issues outlined in the motion that I would like to address, the first being the contribution of seniors as volunteers. Volunteers are very important to local communities, and the southern Gold Coast is certainly no exception. In many instances it would be easy to miss their contribution as most are not out trumpeting their own successes; they are in the background working hard generally for no reward other than the satisfaction of helping a fellow human being. The bulk of our volunteers are senior Australians—retirees who, having left their paid work life behind, have begun another work life. There is no pay. The hours may be long and the work not glamorous, but the rewards are there in the sense of satisfaction in helping others and making a contribution to the wellbeing of the community.

I have firsthand experience of the operation of Scouts Queensland and know the extent to which that organisation relies on volunteers not just as scout leaders but to assist with administration, promotion, committee work and fundraising. Many of the volunteers in scouting contribute a huge number of hours and many of them are in the age bracket of 50 years and over. Without the contribution of the senior members of scouts, that organisation would struggle to continue to provide programs for today’s youth

Neighbourhood Watches operate successfully with the support and contribution of seniors, who are the backbone of the organisation. Community safety would surely be compromised without their dedicated contribution to their neighbours and to the residential areas in which they live. Volunteers in policing, veterans support groups, women’s shelters, playgroups, groups linked to our churches and, indeed, even organisations that focus on supporting seniors themselves would struggle without the participation of seniors. If volunteering were to diminish, there would be a significant social cost. The non-government organisations that utilise the efforts of volunteers would simply cease to exist if they were forced to rely upon paid employees.

The second issue I would like to address today is that of employment related age discrimination. Let me start by acknowledging that discrimination on the basis of age continues to exist in relation to employment and that this is to the detriment of those who are discriminated against and of employers who do not receive the benefit from the contributions that seniors can make to businesses. Those positive contributions include experience, a mentoring role, reliability and loyalty to work colleagues and to the employer.

Age discrimination does not necessarily start when a potential employee becomes officially a senior, or even close. It can start much earlier. Some organisations prefer to recruit juniors. Others prefer to present a youthful exterior to the marketplace and recruit accordingly. Sadly, there are industries that are reluctant to consider an employee who has not even reached middle age and, with this being the case, you can understand the struggle that someone who is perceived to be at the end of their working life faces. According to the National Seniors Association 2010 election submission:

In 2009 almost 60,000 Australians aged over 55 counted as discouraged workers, that is: they wanted to work but had stopped looking because no one would employ them. The main reason cited was ‘being considered too old by employers’.

We need to combat this, and we should be looking at ways to do so. The Henry review noted that, relative to OECD countries, Australia’s participation rates are low for men and women aged between 55 and 64 and that ‘incentives for existing workers to remain in work are critical’.

There are some positive things that we can and should be doing, and I will deal with just one of those. We should be encouraging employers to look at flexible working arrangements that would benefit both the employer and the employees themselves, particularly work patterns and the arrangement of working hours: for example, the organisation of part-time work, job-sharing arrangements and flexibility to look at part-time hours worked perhaps over five mornings or five afternoons rather than two to three eight-hour days.

Our seniors contribute in many ways that they do not realise. They deserve our respect and they deserve our support, just as they support the broader community.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time allocated for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.