Date: Thursday 23 July
Time: 4:00pm
Location: Fringe Room 2
Format: Panel discussion
Organisation: Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia
Public debate about retirement in Australia is increasingly framed as a contest between generations.
Younger Australians face housing pressures and rising costs of living, while older Australians are often portrayed as financially secure. The evidence reveals a more complex story.
COTA Australia’s latest State of the Older Nation research shows significant inequality within generations as well as between them. Some Australians retire with stability and assets. Others face poverty, insecure housing and limited savings, while many more are managing day to day but remain vulnerable to rising costs and unexpected shocks.
This timely panel will examine how inequality in housing, wealth, secure work, care and superannuation develops across the life course, and how Australia can strengthen opportunity for younger people without treating older Australians as the problem.
Moderated by Patricia Sparrow, CEO of COTA Australia, the panel features:
- The Hon Christopher Pyne, Chair, COTA Australia
- Misha Schubert, CEO, Super Members Council
- Thomas Walker, economist and CEO, Think Forward
- Anne Burgess AM, member, COTA Australia Policy Committee
Together, they will discuss: How we can ensure every Australian has a fair opportunity to build financial security and retire with dignity, without allowing ageism or generational blame to distract from the real causes of inequality.
Join us to find out more.
