Fed: Govt on track to deal with ageing population, says Patterson

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2005
Fed: Govt on track to deal with ageing population, says Patterson

CANBERRA, April 12 AAP - The federal government is on track to deal with an ageing
population thanks to its strong economic management and support for families, Family and
Community Services Minister Kay Patterson said today.

The Productivity Commission today released its final report on the economic impact
of ageing in Australia and predicted one in four Australians would be aged 65 or more
by 2044-45 -- roughly double the current rate.

An increase in fertility, which hit 1.76 babies per woman in 2003, could also be expected.

Senator Patterson said the report would require policy responses from all levels of government.

"There are welcome indications that the Howard government is already on the right track
with its strong economic management and unprecedented support for Australian families,"

she said in a statement.

"I am very encouraged that the commission report has forecast stability in the total
fertility rate at 1.8 babies per woman, which is a slightly higher level than the current
rate.

"While it is too early to determine whether the commission's forecasts are a stable
long-term trend, it is still a welcome sign that the decline in the fertility rate may
have been arrested and possibly even reversed."

Senator Patterson said government initiatives such as the maternity payment and increased
child care support for parents and grandparents were creating a climate in which Australian
families could be confident about their future.

"I believe the issues of ageing and fertility rates addressed by the commission are
of fundamental importance to all Australians," she said.

AAP sm/rs

KEYWORD: AGEING PATTERSON

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