Susan Ryan, Australia's newly appointed Age Discrimination Commissioner, spent a morning at a Roundtable with researchers at the UNSW node of CEPAR last month. A two hour conversation with several CEPAR researchers covered a wide range of topics - mature labour force participation and the barriers to working longer, the age pension and superannuation, age discrimination in aged care, discrimination implications of cognitive decline, the co-ordination of driver licence provisions for older people, and the impacts of exclusion on older men.
On the Commission's side of the table were Susan Ryan, and her advisors Dimity Hodge and Fabienne Balsamo. CEPAR Director John Piggott was joined by Bob Cumming, Hal Kendig, and Peter McDonald, along with Associate Investigator Kate O'Loughlin and Research Fellow Kerry Sargent-Cox.
Various areas of common interest were identified, including productive ageing and attitudes to older cohorts, and analysis of the participation of older workers. Susan Ryan said "I am greatly encouraged to see at CEPAR the range and depth of research highly relevant to older Australians and my work as Age Discrimination Commissioner.
"The ageing demographic is a top issue for the 21st century, in Australia and globally. New, quality research is needed to inform good policy. CEPAR's work will establish Australia's leading position in this crucial area."
John Piggott also found the roundtable valuable. "We are really pleased that Susan found the time to bring her team to CEPAR. Interactions of this kind improve understanding all around. CEPAR now has a better grasp of what the Age Discrimination Commissioner sees as the important priorities in her portfolio, and why. And that helps us adjust our thinking about what the important issues are."
CEPAR is developing an on-going relationship with the Age Commissioner's Office. We are in dialogue about financial competence and information concerning retirement products, and early in September John Piggott presented at the Commission conference focused on mature labour force participation and business growth.
The Roundtable format will be repeated next month with a full-day session at FaHCSIA in Canberra, involving most of the CEPAR CIs and several affiliated staff. It is one of several ways in which CEPAR is seeking to reach out to policymakers.