THE Intergenerational Report, released in the 2002-03 Federal Budget, is another sleight of hand. It claims to be about ageing and a blow out in health costs. But a closer look reveals that it identifies only a blow out in pharmaceutical costs. Moreover, the report itself reiterates the views that moderate and respected commentators have...

The 'ageing crisis' is founded on three main assumptions: that older people are a social and economic burden; that population ageing will result in a serious dependency ratio imbalance; and, that there is a close correspondence between the size of the aged population and increased public expenditure. This paper argues that the transition to an...