This article was originally published on 17 February and updated on 5 March.
CEPAR Investigators participated in the Council on the Ageing’s (COTA) National Policy Forum on Retirement Income Policy, as well as in the Roundtable on ‘Completing Australia’s Retirement Income System: Implications of the Retirement Income Review Report’, convened by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, the Tax and Transfers Policy Institute and the Social Policy Institute at ANU.
The future of retirement income policy – including pensions, superannuation and the role of housing – came under the spotlight as Australian decisionmakers and policy experts canvassed the implications of the Retirement Income Review at COTA’s National Policy Forum on 26 February.
Headlined by the Treasurer The Hon Josh Frydenberg MP, the Forum featured expertise from members of the Retirement Income Review Panel and leaders from the financial services, academic, community and workforce sectors, including CEPAR Deputy Director Professor Hazel Bateman and CEPAR Director Scientia Professor John Piggott.
Professor Bateman discussed retirement income streams in a panel comprising COTA Chief Executive and CEPAR Advisory Board member Ian Yates, and Challenger Retirement Income Chair Jeremy Cooper.
Scientia Professor Piggott joined a panel on pensions, tax concessions and personal responsibility with ACOSS Principal Advisory Dr Peter Davidson, Mercer Senior Partner Dr David Knox and Statistician and Retirement Income Modeller Phil Gallagher.
On 4 March, the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, the Tax and Transfers Policy Institute and the Social Policy Institute at ANU jointly convened a Roundtable of academic and industry experts and senior government officials to discuss the findings and implications of the Retirement Income Review Report.
Aimed to explore the Report with a view to identifying the measures still needed, experts presenting at the Roundtable included CEPAR researchers Professor Hazel Bateman, Scientia Professor John Piggott and Professor Peter Whiteford.
Scientia Professor Piggott presented an overview of the Retirement Income Review Report, including key messages, questions and issues; Professor Bateman discussed together with Dr David Knox, Mercer Senior Partner and founder of the CFA Mercer Global Pension Index, the optimal use of superannuation savings consistent with the system’s objective; and Professor Whiteford spoke about protecting vulnerable groups.
The Academy will release a summary report following the event.