["Pomp and Circumstance"]
It's important we get this done today Estella, the Prime Minister has given us a clear mandate
to minimise pensions in the next 10 years.
I think it will be okay, we have the evidence to show that people are living longer.
It makes sense to have people working longer, the committee know what they need to do.
Are you sure the evidence is solid?
Of course Minister, we've had it checked by our own researchers.
It doesn't make sense to have people retire for 20 to 30 years, you know that.
Minister Johnston are you seriously considering raising the retirement age to 75?
I don't want to pre-empt our committee's recommendation.
Minister that is what you were discussing with the committee today isn't it?
Our population is ageing and we're discussing ways to ensure that older Australians can
continue to live comfortable and healthy lives.
We're living longer and therefore retired longer and in many cases people are running
out of money before they die.
We are looking for ways to prevent this from happening and it may be that raising the retirement
age is an effective solution.
So we know that by 2050 there will be over 9 million Australians over 65 and at the moment
the annual healthcare cost per capita for people aged 85 and over is $25,000.
We are heading for financial disaster, we simply cannot afford to sustain the cost of
healthcare, aged care and pensions with this number of aged people.
In order for people to be able to afford their own retirement and care we need them to be
working longer so they can accrue enough in their superannuation to support themselves.
I propose we recommend increasing the retirement age to 75 from 2018.
I just can't see any other way.
Okay, I think we've debated this long enough.
Are we all agreed?
Yeah.
Good.
Good morning, I'm Dr Jennifer Parker and I've been very privileged to be able to continue
the work of my esteemed colleague, Professor Greta Schmidt, after her entire life.
Greta's initial findings and my subsequent findings have been groundbreaking and shocking.
They demonstrate the dangers of increasing the retirement age and predict a dire future
where we will be unable to afford our own old age.
So to conclude, you can see that this data tells a story that we have not been told before.
If we keep raising the retirement age to say 70, average life expectancy after retirement
is only 18 months.
If we increase it again to 75 as the Minister proposes, we may be literally stepping over
dead bodies in the workplace.
I thought we had managed the situation, but we've got another one in our hands, a titillator.
Your research was incredible, Dr.
Now, the implications for the economy, for age care, this is the first time I've actually
understood it clearly.
Why, I understand you. And, Ola, Professor Ola. Thank you, Professor Ola.
The Minister really needs to give that information.
Well, I've been trying to get a meeting with him for months, but I can't get past his advice.
Right, okay. Well, he's actually a friend of mine, so I'll see if I can set up a meeting for you.
Thank you, Professor Ola, that would be wonderful.
Not at all. Bye.
Minister, your research is clearly flawed, if not falsified.
My research clearly demonstrates that by increasing the retirement age, you're creating a death sentence.
You're wrong, Minister. You know we have an age care crisis on our hands.
We need people to be working longer to pay for their retirement and healthcare.
That's not the point, Minister.
If they work longer, they're not going to need healthcare.
They'll be dead within months for retirement.
Look, I know that this is a difficult issue, but you have to go back to the drawing board and come up with a new solution.
You're almost out of time.
Thank you, Doctor. You've given me a lot to think about.
I'll consider your research in depth.
Minister, we can't walk away from this solution.
But the theory seems solid. Why haven't we heard about this before?
Because she's a crackpot.
If this was serious, why is she the only one coming up with these conclusions?
You know, we have a mandate from the Prime Minister to fix this.
It's important we increase the retirement age. It's critical.
What if it's killing people?
Minister, be realistic. What other solution do we have?
We simply just can't afford to keep caring for aged people.
The cost of it will cripple our country.
So, how can we keep this from the public?
You're saying that if the research is correct, we're ignoring people and putting lives at risk.
Minister, you need to be very careful with what you say.
Very careful.
Well, I have to think about this.
I've had a closer look at this, and others have started to come to the same conclusion as Dr Jennifer Parker in the past.
Can you explain to me why three people researching population and age in have either disappeared or died in the last five years?
Minister, talk like that will bring the government down. You mustn't.
Surely you see how ridiculous this is? No one would believe such a fantasy.
Is it a fantasy? Because I found the file in your office.
So, I know that you know what's going on. Who's behind it? Tell me.
Well, you've seen the file, so you know the risks. There's a lot on the line here.
A lot of work has been done to come up with a solution to our crisis.
If you interfere now, it could be very dangerous.
But the Prime Minister needs to know. We can't keep this a secret, can we?
Minister, what are you going to tell the Prime Minister? She's waiting to hear what we want in the bill. You know what's at risk here.
Yes, I know. I've decided what to do.
Thank you.
