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COTA Submissions

Submissions are part of the advocacy process to encourage change. To ensure submissions are effective, fact based and include engagement with older Australians, we often request community participation.

Recent submissions are available here. If you would like to ensure your voice is heard or want to contribute to a conversation, visit the Take Action page.

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COTA Australia's submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee argues that removing the age-based private health insurance rebate would deepen an existing structural healthcare inequity, as well as make private health insurance unaffordable for most older Australians.
COTA Australia's submission argues that mature-age jobseekers, and older women returning to work after caring responsibilities in particular, must be designed into the new employment services system from the outset, not treated as an afterthought.
COTA Australia's submission argues that fee transparency, including informed financial consent, must be a legally enforceable consumer right, with older Australians facing acute risk from unexpected medical costs and split billing practices.
COTA Australia's submission argues that violence against older women is a lifelong, gendered issue, not simply 'elder abuse', and calls for safe housing, financial support and trauma informed navigators to help older women reach safety.
COTA Australia supports a strong and enforceable General Insurance Code of Practice but is concerned the proposed redraft weakens existing commitments and places too many important consumer protections in unenforceable guidance.
We support the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Australia, but we have concerns about who will pay for it. Our submission to the Australian Energy Market Commission argues that the energy transition must be fair and affordable for all Australians, not just those who can afford an electric vehicle.
COTA Australia supports strengthening and expanding the superannuation performance test to improve transparency, accountability and consumer outcomes, particularly for older Australians and retirees. 
COTA Australia makes five key recommendations. Overall, COTA Australia supports the inquiry’s focus on improving tax fairness while emphasising the need to balance intergenerational equity with retirement security, confidence and practical transition arrangements.
In the submission we raise some concern that the current media and policy debate on housing, risks intergenerational conflict rather than solidarity.
This submission argues that the Support at Home pricing approach should support and inform a system that delivers transparent and understandable “value for money” choices for aged care participants.
COTA Australia's submission argues that a new international human rights instrument for older people must name ageism as a root cause of the discrimination older people face, take an approach that recognises how disadvantage compounds over a lifetime, and place clear obligations on governments to act,.
COTA Australia’s 2026/27 Federal pre-budget submission outlines a set of practical recommendations and calls for 6 priority actions.
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