Parliamentary Research Brief To The Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee

Australia is facing an unprecedented, country- wide shortage of workers, the effect of which is to reduce business investment, economic growth, and productivity, as well as forgone wages and government revenue.

Urgent government action is needed to reduce the shortage of workers, with one promising initiative being to encourage more pensioners to re-enter the workforce by reduce the unfair penalty they face through the substantial loss of pensions payments upon receiving earned income.