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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-02-05 Daily Xml
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MATURE-AGE WORKERS

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (15:49): Mr Speaker, may I congratulate you on your election as our Speaker. Last year, the Occupational Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Committee, on my invitation, heard from the Age Discrimination Commissioner, the Hon. Susan Ryan. With the gradual increase of the age for eligibility for the age pension to 67, I was keen to hear from the commissioner regarding issues and rights for workers in the paid workforce, particularly those over the age of 55 years.

Commissioner Ryan told the parliamentary committee that there are about two million people over the age of 55 who are not working but who would be able to work and would work if work was available. Having two million people nonproductive in an economic sense, when many of them are willing and able to be productive, is a massive downside to our economy.

The commissioner went on to tell us that of all retired people 80 per cent are drawing either a full or part age pension and that only about 17 per cent of retired people receive a personal income through superannuation, dividends or other sources. As she pointed out, retirement decisions are often made not just on personal health, physical ability, or caring responsibilities but they are also made on people's proposed financial security.

South Australia has the second highest mature-age workforce after Tasmania, with 15.8 per cent of our workers aged over 55. The over 55 age group represents15.9 per cent of the population, or so says the 2006 census, up from 11.7 per cent in 2001. That census data also tells us that in South Australia the highest number of men workers over the age of 55 are in agriculture, construction, professional scientific and technical services and also—I guess surprisingly—road transport, whereas women over the age of 55 years are in the preschool and school education sector, hospitals, and residential care services.

It is also interesting to note that tradespeople or people running their own businesses often have trouble gaining income insurance if they are over the age of 55. There are also other insurance provisions that discriminate against people not just on their medical status but also based on their age. For example, it is extremely difficult (almost impossible, in fact) to get travel insurance if you are over the age of 70.

When it comes to workers comp entitlements, these cease after the age of 65 unless the industry has a lower retirement age, and if a worker is injured within two years of retirement their entitlements are only a maximum of two years. Most of the state and commonwealth schemes have similar entitlements to South Australia, with Queensland and Western Australia having no age cap but having a limited amount that is paid out to workers.

At the moment, most of the jurisdictions discriminate against workers on the basis of their age. It is difficult to image how people aged over 65 are supposed to pay for their medical costs—and also just to live—and not be eligible for the age pension. If we want people to stay in the workforce, I think we need to make it attractive to them. We need to make sure that superannuation and other entitlements are available and that the valuable resource that older workers can contribute to the workforce is enhanced rather than leaving in place the hurdles that are currently there.

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