Ita Buttrose has just been appointed as the new chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to widespread acclaim, despite the short-list of an expert recruitment advisory panel being totally disregarded. Her long, varied and successful media career has widely recommended her as likely to make an excellent chair to replace Justin Milne. She has accepted a five-year contract from the government.
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Ita, as she is commonly known, was the 2013 Australian of the Year. She has maintained a punishing professional schedule since she was a teenager and is variously described as a journalist, businesswoman, television personality, editor and author. Her list of achievements is extraordinary. She has been awarded several honorary doctorates of letters, was the youngest person ever appointed as editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly and was the chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on AIDS in the 1980s.
Among the many who applauded her appointment only Paul Barry, host of the ABC’s Media Watch program, made the very Australian colloquial observation that despite all her good qualities she was “a bit long in the tooth”. He was referring to the fact that Ms Buttrose AO OBE is 77 years of age, the same age as the fiery American presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, among others. What are we to make of this age factor?
Making such an observation is not mere ageism (prejudging someone adversely because of their age), which certainly is widespread, but points to age as a fascinating aspect of contemporary public life. Ms Buttrose’s advanced age at appointment is a striking contrast, for instance, to those much younger federal MPs, like Christopher Pyne or Kelly O’Dwyer, who have recently announced that they are leaving parliament in their 40s and 50s. The median age of federal parliamentarians is about 50. Scott Morrison is precisely that age and Bill Shorten is 51. Prominent board chairs or former chairs who are in the news, Peter Costello and Ken Henry, are, even at 61, much younger than Buttrose.
Age is a determining factor in only some of the formalities of Australian public life, where the focus is more likely to be on restraining the participation of youth rather than old age. There is no limit on the age of those eligible for election to the Australian parliament other than to be of voting age, though there is a lower age limit of 18 years of age, but no upper limit, on voting. There is no additional age limit on the membership of executive government. But, conspicuously, the High Court has had a constitutional retirement age of 70 since a 1977 referendum decision.
Mandatory retirement is generally unlawful and regarded as age discrimination. Members of the defence forces face compulsory retirement at the age of 60, but at the highest level, they are in demand for high-profile post-career jobs as the appointments of Peter Cosgrove and David Hurley as Governor-General shows. It is most unusual for any new parliamentarian to begin their term after the age of 70, though there is one recent example in Victoria, where the surprise new state member for Hawthorn is 71. That was only possible because it was not seen by Labor as a winnable seat.
In the general community board members tend to be older than CEOs, because it is often seen as a later life or post-retirement type of job. Catholic bishops, however, submit their resignations at the age of 75, while Cardinals who reach the age of 80 forfeit the right to vote for the next Pope.
Yet there are mixed messages circulating about age. The aged pension age is being steadily increased from the traditional ages of 65 for men and 60 for women yet the older unemployed confront ageism. Older women struggle for financial independence and have limited access to superannuation.
Michael Kirby, having compulsorily retired from the High Court, remains extraordinarily active though he will turn 80 this month. Other retired judges are regularly called upon, for instance to chair enquiries and royal commissions. Rupert Murdoch, the owner of News Ltd, is apparently going strong and in full control of his company at the age of 88. Around the world, there are many leaders who by Australian standards are quite old, including Donald Trump who is now 72.
What are the arguments for and against full participation in public life by those past the usual retirement age?
The commonly perceived benefits are greater experience, knowledge of the lessons of history and the possibility of increased wisdom. Older people may seem to offer a steady pair of hands. The perceived weaknesses may include poorer health, decreased vigour and weakened endurance, coupled with dated expertise and less ability to understand developments in modern society.
Age is a tricky variable to factor at the best of times and is best dealt with on an individual basis. The tide is now turning against a trend to limit the general participation of older Australians. The 1977 decision on High Court judges seems like a mistake. There is a striking contrast between some high-profile older Australians being snapped up for lucrative positions while the bulk of the community finds employment and financial survival difficult in later life.
Our public and private institutions should reflect as wide a range of age and experience as possible. But within this general conclusion, specific jobs and contracts for older Australians need to be sensitively tailored to their age. In Ita Buttrose’s case, she may be at full stretch to complete her five-year contract, though that may not matter if her shorter-term impact is positive.
John Warhurst is an emeritus professor of political science at the Australian National University. He is 71 years of age.
