Australians aged over 50 say action to address key cost of living pressures such as grocery costs and energy bills is key to getting their vote in the upcoming election.
Polling commissioned by COTA Australia – the leading advocacy organisation for older people – released today shows that older people rank the cost of groceries and other day-to-day expenses; energy bills and other utility bills; and healthcare and medicines as the top three issues that will affect how they vote in the upcoming election.
Another cost of living pressure – the cost and availability of housing – ranks as the fourth most important issue for people over 50.
COTA Australia Chief Executive, Patricia Sparrow, said the polling should act as a wake up call to politicians ahead of the election.
“We know cost of living pressures are hurting people of all ages, and older people are no different. The top three issues older voters will have on their minds when they’re standing at the ballot box are all cost of living related,” Ms Sparrow said.
“We’ve already seen some good cost of living measures announced by our politicians, but we’re looking forward to seeing more including on things like the introduction of a Seniors Dental Benefit Scheme and targeted housing support.
People need to see real, tangible action and solutions. The cost of living pressures are really hurting people, especially those on fixed incomes like the pension.”
Ms Sparrow said older Australians also want to see action to address ageism, with six in ten people saying Australia needs a national plan to support an ageing Australia and tackle ageism.
72 per cent of participants aged 50 and over also believe that ageism locks older people out of the workforce. The figures increases to 75 per cent of people who are not in paid employment.
“We’ve got an ageing population and an ageism problem. It’s a dangerous combination that our politicians need to start addressing quickly.
“Ageism impacts everyone. It locks people out of work, it impacts our healthcare – it can impact people in every area of their lives. The obvious impacts are on the people experiencing ageism themselves, but the flow on effects impact all of us.”
The polling found that 30 per cent of participants say they have experienced ageism in the past five years. That increases to 40 per cent of older Australians who are in serious financial difficulty.
“This is a very worrying statistic that our politicians can’t afford to ignore. We need a national plan to tackle ageism put in place so we can start seriously investigating and addressing these issues.”
Key findings
• Cost of groceries and other day-to-day expenses is the top election priority for those aged 50 and over. 61% rank the issue in their top 3 most important and 31% say it is the most important.
• Cost of energy bills is the second most important election issue for older Australians, with 43% ranking it in their top 3 election issues.
• Healthcare and medicines are the third most important issue for older Australians, with 35% ranking it in their top 3.
• 28% of older Australians put the cost and availability of housing in their top 3 most important election issues.
• Cost and availability of housing is the second most important issue for older Australians who are renting, with almost half (49%) ranking the issue in their top 3.
• A majority (57%) of older Australians see ageism as a problem in Australia and 60% say Australia needs a national plan to tackle ageism.
• 72% of participants aged 50 and over agree that ageism locks older people out of the workforce.
• 30% of participants say they have experienced ageism in the last 5 years. Older Australians in serious financial difficulty are the most likely to have experienced ageism in the past 5 years (40%).
Media contact: Tamara Kotoyan, 0430 291 890 or Alana Mew, 0419 929 722
