The basic structure of Australia’s pension system, with its focus on poverty alleviation, indexation to community living standards and prices, and means testing, is sound, according to this report. However the system faces challenges in both the short and long term and reforms are needed: • Pension rates do not fully recognise the costs faced...

As the need for investment in infrastructure continues to grow, private sector financing for infrastructure projects has developed around the world. Given the long-term growth and (potentially) low correlation aspects of infrastructure investments, pension funds have also shown interest in increasing their exposure to this area, along with their move into alternative assets. Such investments...

The Commonwealth Government could start injecting tens of millions of dollar into the economy each week by simply increasing the size of a payment such as the age pension. The current slowing in the world economy has raised a number of important issues about the way that the Australian government, and governments in all developed...

This paper presents background information on past events and current arrangements for any discussions following the recent release of the report of the review of military superannuation.

This investigation was prompted by 124 complaints received by the Ombudsman’s office about Centrelink’s administration of the activity test requirements following the implementation of Welfare to Work reforms on 1 July 2006. The report was critical of the practice of stopping a person’s welfare payment before a decision was made about whether or not a...