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We won’t fix female super until we fix female pay, but Labor’s ideas are a start

Written by Helen Hodgson, Associate Professor, Curtin Law School and Curtin Business School, Curtin University

Women retire with embarrassingly little super compared to men.

In 2015-16 the typical (median) Australian woman retired with A$36,000. The typical male had A$110,000.

When presented as averages, the difference is less stark because a small number of big superannuation accounts push up the average. In 2015-16 the average woman left with A$157,050 compared to A$270,710 for the average man. Read more...

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How changes noted in the 1992-93 cabinet papers affect our super today

While superannuation changes were debated all through 2016 we were often reminded that the superannuation system is still maturing. Many workers retiring today were not members of a superannuation scheme for much of their working life.

The cabinet papers of 1992-93 released today by the National Archives of Australia give an insight into how, and why, the system was originally designed; and how some of those decisions are reflected in the current policy debate.

A new super scheme

The Superannuation Guarantee came into force from July 1 1992. In that year about 64% of employees had access to superannuation including white collar workers, public servants and workers covered by an award based scheme. Read more...

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A competitive superannuation system: will efficiency gains follow?

The Conversation, A competitive superannuation system: will efficiency gains follow? Productivity Commission Will competition in the superannuation system improve efficiency, or is this an ideological argument extended beyond its usefulness? If more competition would promote efficiency, what design and policy issues need to be addressed to accommodate the changes?

The Productivity Commission’s draft report on superannuation’s efficiency and competitiveness seeks to address whether increased competition will, in fact, drive efficiency, or whether this proposal is ideologically driven by either a belief in the free market or a desire to weaken the role of the unions in industry superannuation funds. Read more...