Page 1230 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 7 May 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
But in all seriousness, I know how important these sheds have become for men in making sure that they are able to get the most out of their retirement years. These sheds ensure that they have a safe and constructive place to pursue their interests and that they are able to have meaningful engagement with their community. These organisations have become important places for men too, in an informal way, to remain healthy and active in their retirement years.
Men’s sheds provide health information and support for older men in our community, which Ms Porter has just talked about. Indeed, at the meeting that I attended at the Melba Men’s Shed there was a discussion on prostate friendly bike seats, where to buy them from and a review by current users of the seats about their comfort and their health benefits to the men at the shed. But it is not just the physical health that these men’s sheds are important for; it is also mental health. As the Australian Men’s Shed Association has recognised, good health is based on many factors, including feeling good about yourself, being productive and valuable to your community and connecting to friends and maintaining an active body and an active mind.
As I have said before, until you have seen it, it is hard to understand the importance members place on tackling serious issues from men’s health to community infrastructure and also the commitment they show to lifelong learning and their respect for each other’s skills and talents. But I think one of the key strengths that I have been seen in the sheds, particularly in the Melba Men’s Shed over the last five years, is that amongst the seriousness they also make sure that every meeting has time for a joke and a song.
Too often we talk about ageing in terms of the need to budget for increasing service provision as life expectancies increase and the baby boomer generation moves towards retirement but this, I think, drastically narrows the reality of what ageing means. In September 2012, the then Gillard Labor government commissioned an advisory panel on positive ageing to lead a national dialogue on ageing issues, improved coordination of policy design across portfolios and work with government on implementation and design of ageing policy. One of the panel’s tasks was to promote programs that encourage active or positive ageing. By this, we mean exactly the kinds of things that men’s sheds do, which is promote continued participation in society through social, economic, cultural, civic and religious affairs, not just the ability to be active or participate in the workforce.
In a political environment that is seriously considering forcing Australians to work until they are 70, we should in this place take stock for a moment and consider one of the great achievements of the 20th century, and that is to recognise the right of people to a dignified retirement. These days that means we have to look beyond just arguing about the amount we spend on the pension and how we regulate the superannuation system. Notwithstanding the importance of both these policies, we have to examine ways of making sure that, no matter how large the ageing population, they can enjoy their retirement years with dignity and with purpose.
As policy makers, we have to be creative. We have to support communities who want to support our ageing population. We also have to examine ways of making sure that
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video