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17 October 2026

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Treasury's views on super not all predatory

When Dr Martin Parkinson, Secretary to the Treasury, spoke at the 2012 ASFA conference on 28 November about the future challenges for Australia's superannuation system, he made all the right noises. Here is what he said, with our underlined emphasis:

"There are various reasons higher national saving is particularly welcome at the moment, though some sectors are adversely affected. With the international environment more uncertain than over most of the preceding 15 years, borrowing less and saving more makes us more resilient to possible adverse developments. While our terms of trade remain high by historical standards, the recent decline only emphasises that some (unknown) portion of our current national incomes is temporary. And there are benefits to saving more now to support a progressively older population, before the impacts of population ageing become more pressing.

Superannuation's large pool of stable and unleveraged superannuation assets contributes to financial stability by adding depth and liquidity to financial markets; providing an alternative source of finance for other sectors; and acting as an important buffer against external shocks.

In addition to the rise in total flows into superannuation funds, an increasing proportion of financial asset acquisition has been going into domestic equities and deposits, particularly in the post-GFC period. This has helped Australian banks and non-financial firms shift toward safer forms of financing in an environment where debt financing is less readily available and is seen as more risky than it was pre-GFC."

So while it is often believed that Treasury looks at the tax concessions in superannuation like a buzzard hovering over a carcass, and clearly has targetted lower contribution limits, let's hope Dr Parkinson's views translate into restraint on additional taxes.

  •   8 February 2013
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