SENATOR DEAN SMITH
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION
LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA
28 November 2025
COST OF LIVING CRISIS FORCING RECORD NUMBERS OF OLDER WESTERN AUSTRALIANS BACK TO WORK.
New figures reveal a deepening cost-of-living crisis in Western Australia, with a record 35,700 Western Australians aged 70 and over now in the workforce—a staggering 31.2 per cent increase in just one year.
Once, working into your 70s was a choice, but under the Albanese Labor Government it has become a financial necessity for thousands of seniors.
ABS data shows one in ten Western Australians over 70 are now working, compared with one in 25 a decade ago.
An additional 8,500 seniors have re-entered the workforce in the past year alone—many because they simply cannot afford to retire on fixed incomes that have been eroded by rising prices.
This surge reflects the reality of life under Labor – relentless price hikes, soaring housing costs and a shrinking retirement buffer.
Perth continues to suffer some of the highest cost pressures in the nation, recording 4.5 per cent inflation in the September quarter – the second highest of any capital city.
At the same time, rents have surged 75 per cent since 2020, rising from $400 to $700 a week placing immense strain on older Western Australians living alone or on part pensions.
Soaring property prices have added to the burden, with Perth’s median house price climbing by nearly $300,000 in three years, forcing many older Western Australians to delay retirement or take on second mortgages to help their children into the market.
This mirrors a national trend with census data showing the number of Australians aged 55 to 64 who own their homes outright has almost halved in two decades.
Research from Digital Finance Analytics reveals three-quarters of retirees with a mortgage owe more than they have in superannuation, leaving them little choice but to stay in the workforce.
While some Australians choose to work longer, thousands in Western Australia are being forced to because Labor has let inflation, housing costs and interest rates to spiral out of control.
Older Western Australians deserve dignity in retirement—not a government that forces them back to work to keep up with rising bills.
Quotes attributable to Senator Dean Smith
“This surge in over-70s returning to work is not a sign of choice—it’s a sign of financial distress under Labor.”
“When one in ten seniors has no option but to stay in the workforce, something is fundamentally broken in Canberra’s economic management.”
“Perth’s skyrocketing rents and stubborn inflation are pushing older Western Australians to keep working long after they planned to retire.”
“Families tell us they are helping their kids buy a first home while still paying off their own—this is the real cost of Labor’s housing crisis.”
“Three-quarters of retirees with a mortgage owe more than they have in super—no wonder so many are delaying retirement.”
“Older Western Australians deserve dignity and security in retirement, not the financial pressure that forces them back into the workforce.”
