IT appears that the “master of spin”, our Prime Minister, has conveniently shifted his focus from the future of the planet to the ageing of the population.
Well the population is ageing but that does not necessarily mean that the aged will be a drain on the economy as he seems to imply.
Mr Rudd seems to lightly dismiss the valuable contribution the elderly make to society.
What price do you put on the accumulated wisdom, skills, knowledge and mentoring the elderly use that benefits the young?
How much more expensive would childcare cost without the help of grandparents?
What about the valuable volunteer work such as manning op shops, soup kitchens, youth movements and so forth that is mostly done by the elderly?
Let’s also not forget that the elderly still pay taxes through the GST and keep the economy moving with their spending.
Moreover, it seems hypocritical to me to crow about improved longevity through medical advances and then whinge about the health care costs of the aged these advances have produced.
It is also hypocritical to whinge about the cost of the healthcare of the aged whilst doing virtually nothing about reducing the 100,000 abortions done each year that are mostly done for social reasons and funded by the taxpayer.
Natural increase will always be better and cheaper than immigration.
Let the elderly work longer if they want to, but don’t use them as scapegoats for a strained economy that is also being strained by anti-social behaviour, alcohol and drug-related abuse, graffiti and so forth, which are not usually done by the elderly.
Specifically targeting the elderly as economic liabilities encourages ageism and we have had enough “granny bashings”.