Push for early retirement, but only for a select group

While there has been plenty of discussion around just how long you’ll have to stay in the workforce, a petition was tabled in the Senate recently calling for the retirement age of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders to be reduced.

If you’re wondering why, it’s because Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a shorter life expectancy than non-indigenous people.

This was revealed in a report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, saying that indigenous men die on average 11.5 years earlier and indigenous women nearly 10 years earlier than non-indigenous counterparts.

Brett Nutley, the guy behind the petition, says by reducing the retirement age of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people they would have a better chance of reaching retirement.

“I had a lot of friends dying way before retirement age and they didn’t have the opportunity to even look at their retirement,” Nutley told the ABC.

He said that despite measures put in place to increase life expectancy as part of the Close the Gap program, it was not helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people now.

According to Nutley, it is the generational issues stemming from the Stolen Generation that mean indigenous Australians remain disadvantaged.

The petition, which was tabled in the Senate by Rachel Siewert, looks to allow retirement benefits to be available to Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders who reach the age of 55 years.

What are your thoughts on this idea to lower the retirement age? Should the retirement age be lowered for all Australians?