United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Regional Survey on Ageing 2011: Australia
Context
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Australia is a constitutional democracy based on a federal division of powers between Australian, state, territory and local levels of government.1
At the Commonwealth level, addressing ageing issues and the impacts of population ageing is mainstreamed as a whole-of government responsibility encompassing retirement income (pensions and superannuation); age discrimination, healthy ageing, health services and medical care; ageing and aged care; carers; social inclusion; participation, including employment and volunteering; and housing.
A number of Ministers and their Departments share responsibilities across the following areas:
- Prime Minister: overall policy responsibility, social inclusion and volunteering;
- Attorney General: age discrimination legislation;
- Minister for Health and Ageing: healthy ageing and affordable access to health and medical care;
- Minister for Mental Health and Ageing: healthy ageing; community and residential ageing and aged care services; support and services for carers;
- Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs: income support including the age pension, and housing for seniors;
- Treasurer: superannuation; and
- Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations: workforce participation and volunteering.
In addition to arrangements at the Commonwealth level, each state and territory has its own Minister, institutional arrangements, and policies and strategies for addressing ageing issues and the impacts of population ageing in relation to the above areas (except pensions and superannuation), and additional responsibilities such as transport.
1 The Commonwealth Government is usually referred to as the ‘Australian Government’. The term ‘Australian Government’ is used throughout this response except in the context of discussing the constitution or referring to specific legislation.