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The Guardian
a day ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Australian employers view their older workforce with contempt. They need to understand 70s are the new 50s
Hey recruiters, get with the program: 70s are the new 50s. Australians, just like in wealthy societies all around the world, are living and staying healthier for longer. You'd think this would be great news, but no. We are told that an ageing population is an albatross around the neck of our economy and a curse on our budget. It doesn't have to be this way but it will require smart policymaking to make the most of a willing and able older workforce. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email It will also require employers not to be such bloody dills. This week, a survey by the Australian HR Institute and the Australian Human Rights Commission found that nearly one-quarter of employers classify over-50s as 'old'. To see just how ridiculous this is, consider that somebody who works for 45 years and retires at age 67 will have been considered 'old' for 17 years. That's nearly 40% of their working lives! Like all opinions rooted in discrimination, all this defies reason. A new article from the International Monetary Fund shows just how out of date these views are. The IMF has looked at data across 41 countries and found that a person who was 70 years old in 2022 had the same cognitive health scores as a 53-year-old at the turn of the century. Unsurprisingly, this spectacular improvement in mental acuity went hand-in-hand with people staying in better physical shape into their 60s, 70s and beyond. 'Better health means better labour market outcomes,' the IMF economists Bertrand Gruss and Diaa Noureldin noted. Gruss and Noureldin show that enlightened policies – such as a focus on ongoing training and more incentives to keep people in the workforce longer – can offset three-quarters of the expected drag from ageing on the world economy over the coming decades. 'Over a decade, the cumulative improvement in cognitive capacities experienced by someone aged 50 or over is associated with an increase of about 20 percentage points in the likelihood of remaining in the labour force,' they write. 'It's also associated with an additional six hours worked per week and a 30% increase in earnings. All this could mitigate ageing's drag on growth.' Treasury's intergenerational reports have increasingly focused the minds of Australians on the budget implications of an ageing population. As useful as these reports have been to inform the current debate around taxation reform, they may also have fed a narrative of drooling oldies who need to be propped through their autumn years by vibrant and athletic under-50s. If the IMF is right, that trite adage that 'demography is destiny' is, to a large degree, wrong. As ever, our destiny is what we make of it.
The Guardian
a day ago
- General
- The Guardian
What's behind the cancelling of Stephen Colbert?
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The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
Alleged childcare paedophile Joshua Dale Brown likely to face more charges, court told
Alleged childcare paedophile Joshua Dale Brown is likely to face extra charges with a court today granting police more time to investigate him. Brown's next court appearance of has now been pushed into 2026, with police requesting the magistrates court allow more time to compile evidence against him. Magistrate Donna Bakos on Tuesday granted an application by police to extend the deadline to provide the hand up brief of evidence to Brown's lawyers to 4 December. The matter will then return to court for a committal mention on 10 February. An extension was also provided in the matter of Brown's co-accused, Michael Simon Wilson, who will next appear in court for a committal mention on 15 November. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The accused men, who are both remanded in custody, were not required to appear in court for the brief administrative hearing. The court heard an affidavit in support of the extension argued the investigation into the duo was ongoing. Brown's lawyer, Rishi Nathwani KC, said the affidavit also flagged the potential for 'additional charges'. Nathwani said charges against his client 'are in flux', with police now following a 'vast number of other avenues that have now become apparent'. He asked Bakos not to release the full list of charges to media in light of this, saying it would be 'premature' and 'hinder the realisation of natural justice'. However, Bakos disagreed and said she would release the charges later today to ensure fair and accurate reporting of the matter. Brown, 26, was charged in May with more than 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims aged between five months and two years old. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion They include sexual penetration of a child under 12, attempted sexual penetration of a child under 12, sexual assault of a child under 16 and producing child abuse material for use through a carriage service. His case was only made public on 1 July after a suppression order was lifted. Wilson, 46, meanwhile, faces 45 charges including possessing child abuse material and rape and bestiality. It is understood Wilson's alleged offending is not connected to childcare facilities or any of the children alleged to be victims in the Brown case. Both cases are in their early stages and neither Brown nor Wilson are yet to enter a plea.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
‘Repeatedly outbid': readers share stories of housing despair as Australia's prices reach record highs again
Dozens of Guardian Australia readers have shared their experiences of trying to buy a home in a rising market, as fear-of-missing-out fervour takes hold. After a short reprieve, property prices have surged to record highs across large parts of Australia, making a family home even more unaffordable for prospective buyers. One Melbourne reader, a nurse, said she felt like cattle herded from one home open to the next. 'Multiple times I went to inspections of properties I liked, only to be told on the way out that there was already an offer of $30-50k over asking and if I was interested I needed to submit a better offer within a few hours,' said the reader, who eventually secured a property. 'The market was so competitive I felt really rushed into making a decision a lot of the time.' Auctions are heating up across the country, with six straight weeks of preliminary clearance rates holding above 70%, according to Cotality data, in a clear sign sellers are in control. Clearance rates refer to the percentage of properties sold at auction compared with the total number of properties listed to go under the hammer, with results above 70% viewed as an indicator of strong buying demand. Bidding is expected to become even more fierce amid expectations of further interest rate cuts and an enduring lack of supply of homes. Property prices in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth are at peak levels, while Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart are also rising. A reader in Western Australia's south-west said she and her partner bought far from their family and friends in Perth 'not because we were seeking a lifestyle change but because we simply couldn't compete in the city or suburbs any more. 'We went to countless inspections and put in offer after offer, but were repeatedly outbid, ignored by real estate agents or told homes were under offer before we'd even had a chance,' the reader said. 'At the same time, we were grappling with housing instability, facing no-ground evictions and repeated rent increases.' The couple aged in their early 30s are now so financially stretched with their new mortgage they've made the decision not to have children. 'We simply can't afford to raise a family,' the reader said. 'That's not something we ever imagined we'd have to sacrifice, but this housing crisis has forced people like us to choose between stability and the future we once hoped for.' Many readers commented on the presence of investors bidding up prices at auctions. Over the past five years, investors have increased their share of new home loans from 28% to 37%, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data. One Canberra resident said she wanted to buy a home to provide stability for her family after moving between rentals eight times in nine years. The public servant went to two auctions where the same investor bid up prices, with his teenage son filming. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email 'I saw the same guy at an open house for the house we purchased and gave him a filthy look of recognition,' said the reader, who was pleased the investor didn't lodge a bid for her eventual home. A Melbourne reader said while it wasn't always possible to identify who he was bidding against, 'it was always obvious at auctions who were the first home buyers as they bowed out first'. Most market watchers attribute the growing influence of investors to favourable tax settings, including the Howard-era decision to halve the rate of capital gains tax. Those settings are particularly helpful to investors when many prospective first home buyers are being priced out of the market. Australia's intense housing problem, whereby Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane are all in the top 10 least affordable global cities, has a knock-on effect across society, with foster care agencies reporting a fall in the number of applicants given many people can't afford the time and don't have the spare room to be a carer. Some readers have turned to 'rent-vesting', a strategy of renting a home to live in while buying a more affordable property elsewhere, in the hope that capital growth will pay for a future deposit. A Sydney reader said he and his wife tried to buy a home for 15 years. 'The most frustrating thing was watching our rent, continuously being raised, go to pay someone else's mortgage,' he said. 'We had to become part of the problem to beat the system. We had to rentvest for five years to accumulate enough equity to pay for our own home.'
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Shoddy work and rogue tradies: the home repair practices targeting vulnerable Australians
When Jane was quoted about $20,000 to get the power put back on at her mother's property, she balked. 'He said the whole house needs to be rewired,' Jane said. 'He had the iPad out and said 'I'll need you to sign here'. I know my mum doesn't have that kind of money. I asked why it would cost so much. 'They said something like 'this quote will expire, you need to sign now or we can't get started and you won't have electricity'.' Jane – who didn't want her real name used – didn't cave to the urgency. Instead, she got someone else to do the job for about $3,500. But Jane is furious that had she not been there, her 78-year-old mother would have faced the pressure. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Consumer groups and state government authorities around the country have warned of a variety of concerning practices and tactics by tradespeople, including: Targeting vulnerable, often older people, or those affected by natural disasters. Fearmongering by pretending a problem is urgent and potentially disastrous. Using threatening behaviour to coerce people. Overcharging and upselling unnecessary work. Operating under dozens, even hundreds of names to influence internet search results, hiding from bad reviews and providing multiple quotes that appear to be from different companies. The company Jane asked to quote trades under almost 200 names across all states and territories and offers a range of services including hot water repair and electrical work. The Council on the Ageing Australia says it has had 'troubling reports' about tradies targeting older people. 'Unfortunately, older people are targeted as they're more likely to be home during the day, and these scammers are quick to take advantage of this,' the council's acting chief executive, Corey Irlam, said. 'If someone shows up unannounced, uses high-pressure tactics, or demands upfront payment for a job, that's a red flag.' The New South Wales government has warned about 'unlicensed trades and scams' after floods. Building Commission NSW has received 157 reports of unlicensed or unregistered trade work since the beginning of 2025. This month, Consumer Protection Western Australia said 'dodgy door knockers' were targeting homes to carry out 'shoddy roof repairs'. 'These con men move from town to town using high-pressure tactics to push overpriced roof restoration jobs – often delivering little to no actual work,' the agency said. One elderly couple was approached by two men who said their roof needed repairs. The men began the job without a formal quote and the couple were told to deposit an $18,645 cheque. Another couple was 'coerced' into paying $2,145 'while the man stood over them during the bank transfer', the agency said. The agency also warned about 'rogue elements' in plumbing and electrical trades who 'exaggerate necessity for extra work and costs'. The South Australian consumer and business affairs minister, Andrea Michaels, said the department had fielded numerous complaints where 'customers feel they have been quoted excessive amounts, feel they have been told they need work done that they do not, or feel they have been pressured into agreeing to high-priced work'. Examples provided included $1,000 to fix a leaking tap; $1,000 for a valve that another plumber said should have cost $90; an elderly customer charged $2,500 for an air conditioning part worth less than $100; and more than $2,000 to replace a shower head. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion In another case, according to Michaels, a customer was charged $10,000 to unblock a drain and install replacement concrete, but was then advised by another plumber that the concrete work was not needed and the drain could be unblocked for a few hundred dollars. Earlier this month Queensland's Office of Fair Trading warned some tradies with a 'blatant disregard for the law' were taking large sums of money without providing the promised goods and services. Consumer Affairs Victoria said 'fake tradies' or 'travelling con men' might offer to do work then 'disappear with your money, leaving unfinished or substandard work, if they start work at all'. The Master Plumbers Association (SA) chief executive officer, Andrew Clarke, said people looking for a tradie should ask family or friends for recommendations. Searching on an industry association website instead of trusting search engines was also a good idea, he said. 'If you're using a member of an association, you then have the right to complain to the association,' he said. Experts say people should seek multiple quotes – ensuring they're from genuinely different companies – check licensing and accreditation of tradies and resist pressure to sign contracts even in emergency situations. Jane said she had dealt with hundreds of maintenance people in her life, but the experience with her mother's house was different. 'They were basically in my face trying to get me to sign,' she said. 'What if my mum, not understanding, signed on the iPad? She would have been up for a massive bill. 'They're taking advantage of vulnerable people.' Do you know more? Contact
