Bob Day (SA, Family First Party) Share this | Hansard source

The barriers and obstacles to older people participating in the workforce are substantial. That is why Australia ranks 13th in the OECD for workforce participation of people over 65, at just 12.3 per cent, compared to Iceland, Korea, Mexico, Chile, New Zealand, Japan and Estonia, which are all over 20 per cent. Senior Australians are banned from topping up their superannuation after 70 years of age. They start losing their age pension once they earn over $162 a fortnight, or $288 for couples. At $700 a fortnight, they start paying tax. At $2,010 a fortnight, they lose their seniors health card and their PBS subsidised medicines. Job seeker workplace and insurance discrimination also remain unaddressed. In all this, yet, senior Australians are banned from arranging work on terms and conditions that would suit their circumstances.