We’re all getting older and something has got to give
Treasury chief economic adviser Dominick Stephens joins Bernard Hickey to discuss the long-term fiscal issues caused by an ageing population, and what’s at risk if we don’t make policy changes soon.
04 Oct 2024
More about the episode
As our national population grows older (and the superannuation system becomes increasingly burdened by the growing ranks of retirees), how will the government balance the books? The ratio of tax-paying adults to superannuitants is steadily falling, and raising the age of eligibility for super won't cover the forecasted shortfall. So what kind of fiscal policy changes are needed before public debt starts getting scary?
Dominick Stephens, chief economic adviser at the Treasury, joins Bernard Hickey to discuss the long-term unsustainability of our current situation, the impacts of migration and outsized labour force participation by over-65s, and what’s at risk if we don’t make changes soon.