Retirement Security in Australia

This paper reviews Australian retirement income and aged services programs in the context of changing demographic, labourmarket and fiscal trends. Australia's federal division of powers, and its historic model of 'needs based' welfare, is examined across areas such as income security, protection against age/retirement discrimination, aged persons and nursing home accommodation, health care and private planning (such as superannuation). The paper argues that despite the challenges of an ageing society, Australian policy settings appear to strike the right balances and are both fiscally responsible and robust. Neoliberal market reforms recently introduced in some spheres of policy are critiqued it is suggested that their further expansion should be curtailed.

Keywords: ageing, retirment incomes, aged care, superannuation, age discrimination

JEL Classification: K39, K 31, J65, J78, I38

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Carney AO, Terry and Sceats, Sonya, Retirement Security in Australia (October 31, 2005). 8th Asian Association of Industrial Relations R.O.C., Vol. 31, pp. 205-230, 2005, Sydney Law School Research Paper No. 06/53, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=895444 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.895444