Sean Barrett (Independent)

I move amendment No. 15:

In page 34, subsection (1)(a), line 35, to delete "65 years," and substitute "68 years,".

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. This was discussed previously with the Minister and he said he was not ageist. I do not know whether it has been amended anywhere else. The reason for choosing 68 years is that this is the outer limit for retirement in the EU-IMF-ECB agreement. My colleague, Senator Crown, is against retirement in principle but I will not push it that far. If it is Government policy to raise the retirement age, then I am seeking to have it included in the Bill. Like Senators Gilroy and Leyden earlier, I think we had the broad agreement of the Minister when he said he was not ageist. We put forward our views for consideration by the Minister of State but we seemed to have an element of agreement when it was before the House previously.