The unintended consequences of the Chalmers budget will be long lasting… from the reduced health rebate for older Australians, to the prioritising of onshore applicants for permanent visas to the NDIS revised ‘functional capability’ assessment… to name a few. Bandaid policy on the run….

#politas - it shouldn’t be up to children and young people to advocate for themselves - but here we are. Maybe the decision-makers will listen and act now? 😢 good work Jack. WHERE WE LIVE SHOULD NOT PREVENT US FROM BEING ABLE TO GET TO SCHOOL, WORK OR TO OUR GP edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dyn...

Community services are the safety net that help Tasmanians stay well, connected and out of crisis but that net is under severe strain. Sign this open letter calling the Govt to #PrioritiseallTasmanians w/ stable, long-term investment in community services. #politas www.change.org/p/coalition-...

This InSummary discusses the popular misunderstandings about population projections – what they are and what they are not and how to use them more effectively to plan for, and shape, a future reality. #politas open.substack.com/pub/lisadenn...

There will be demographic implications if young people are prevented from forming social and healthy relationships at university. Delayed partnering is already a contributor to the decline in the fertility rate - eventually there will be fewer people to enrol at uni. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

An opportunity has arisen for a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead TasCOSS. Based in Hobart, with a statewide remit, the CEO will be responsible for strategic leadership, industry development and influence, organisational sustainability, and advocacy. #politas www.seek.com.au/job/90088874...

20 years ago this week, I launched my first business – tasmanianjobs.com – an employment advertising website. At the time, Tasmania was experiencing strong economic and population growth, yet, skill shortages prevailed. Fast forward, what's changed? #politas lisadenny.substack.com/p/tasmanianj...

Interested in the source and assumptions informing this population forecast given the Centre for Population’s forecast released this month suggest growth of around 10K for the Greater Hobart Capital City area - larger than these 4 council areas #politas population.gov.au/sites/popula...

While Tas. unemployment rate is lowest in nation, employment itself ⬇️, unemployed persons ⬆️, employment population ratio ⬇️, NILF ⬆️, LFPR steady (but down if 2 decimal points) . Govt is cherry picking the data. #politas

All levels of government need to take responsibility for failing to plan for population ageing. It’s not like we didn’t know it was coming….. #politas #auspol www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

A piece from me in the Conversation today about why the RBA needs to apply a demographic lens to monetary policy making. #auspol theconversation.com/as-the-popul...

While I fully support delaying access to social media platforms for our youth, it does not address the structural issues. If we are really serious about letting kids be kids and supporting connection, communication and good relationship development then much more is required. Starting with: 🧵

Timely. Given the Tasmanian context. Improving the educational attainment of all Tasmanians will have the greatest economic and equity outcome than any other investment over the long term. Ever. #politas pamelasnow.blogspot.com/2025/12/if-n...

The TasAlert app is shite. It would be good if the order of warnings was chronological so we know the actual status…. #politas

No. Just no. Fix the structural issues re why women are either not having children or having fewer. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

My computer doesn’t want to work in this heat with the aircon also on so I’m doing some ‘work’ reading (dreaming?!)

I am often asked what I think will happen with migration as a result of the stadium - answer is I don’t know. People move for many reasons. We are currently losing more whole families than gaining, and I’m pretty sure it’s nothing do to with the stadium. #politas

My OpEd in the Mercury today: The RBA is fighting yesterday's battle as economics without demography is blind #auspol #politas

Whatever happened to Tasmania’s sustainability strategy? #politas www.dpac.tas.gov.au/tasmanian-po...

On the back of a recent article about Tasmania being the ideal pilot state for innovation in ageing, and work I have been doing for 20 years, I asked CoPilot to: "Provide examples of innovation and investment opportunities in relation to ageing populations" #politas www.linkedin.com/posts/tasman...

The Wellbeing Framework 'released' by the Tasmanian Government this week is fabulous... an aspiring vision for all Tasmanians.... only thing missing is how we get there... apparently it's a shared responsibility and there are no next steps. #politas www.dpac.tas.gov.au/__data/asset...

Two decades ago the Tas. Govt put all its apples in a pulp mill. One decade ago it put them in Mona (a $408M loss maker for the owner from which the already propped up hospitality and tourism sectors benefited).This decade the apples are going in a stadium as demanded by vested interests. #politas

This is a long but important read. The final sentence “The system is broken” could be the final sentence in an article about the aged care system, the NDIS system or any other public system - like health, justice, education, housing…. 🧵 www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

What say you, Tasmania? Hopefully, Simon Kuestenmacher's article today starts a committed conversation about where to next for Tasmania's population policy. #politas www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/t...

Calling older persons waiting in hospital beds for aged care beds ‘bed blockers’ is completely unacceptable. They are not the bed blockers - the bed blocker is the failure of governments to effectively plan for the future demand for aged care places. #politas

The thing is many sectors’ workforces need to double over the next few years - eg health, allied health, aged care - from a diminishing supply of potential new workforce entrants. That means that we must ensure ALL young people successfully complete their schooling. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

Yes, please 🤩👏💥 (but do hope that education does not become a polital football) #politas www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmani...

Unfortunately, this is just the start of the demand for aged care and related services which we haven’t planned for. Those born in 1945 at the start of the post WWII baby boom are turning 80 this year… 26 more years ahead of increasing demand before cohorts start getting smaller….

An important read in the context of population ageing, housing, ‘ageing in place’ and regional areas in particular. #politas www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

This is great - can’t wait to contribute to the consultation about the vision for our marine environment - but wouldn’t it be great if we could have an overarching vision for Tasmania and shape our public sector around that? #politas www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmani...

So, Treasurer Abetz may be the person to fix the budget, but what will the consequences be for the people of Tasmania? #politas

Amazing skies in Bicheno tonight

My demographer musings explain why I believe the effectiveness of the RBA is now diminishing because it does not take into consideration the discipline of demography and the demographic change that has occurred since its establishment in 1960. #politas #auspol lisadenny.substack.com/p/the-rba-th...

Astounded given the demand for aged care, particularly nursing homes, is about to ⬆️ sig. in Tasmania. Over the next 15 yrs, the no. ppl aged 85+ will ⬆️ 106% and we will not have sufficient workforce to provide the level of care needed to ‘age in place’. #politas www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmani...

“We forge the chains we wear in life”. Dickens. #politas

My questions to the Treasurer are: What do you think the consequences will be of not equalising pay with interstate counterparts? And, what do you think the consequences will be if you cut funding to the community services industry? #politas www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmani...

It's all very well to say that Tasmania is the best place to raise a family, but we need to be able to have them first. We can arrest the decline in the TFR, but it needs to be a deliverate choice. My OpEd in the Mercury #politas open.substack.com/pub/lisadenn...

Of the 51K new jobs since 2014, 15.3K were in Health Care and Social Assistance (49%⬆️) which is 30.1% of all new jobs. 8.7K in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (84.2%⬆️) and 6.4K in Public Admin. (38.8%⬆️). Mining, IMT and Wholesale Trade ⬇️ #politas www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmani...

If Australia is going to be a manufacturing nation again, it needs to invest in, and prioritise, R+D as well as ensure we have an education pipeline providing that knowledge and skill. #politas #auspol PM’s vow to save Australia www.themercury.com.au/news/nationa...

More often than not,Tasmania can be its own worst enemy. Most dispersed population with an ageing demographic, people with the skills we so desperately need are leaving the state. It will have a snowball effect, which has already started #politas www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Good morning from Devonport, Tasmania 😊

Leaving the dynamics of population change to chance is a high-risk strategy - and introducing the Future Populations Network - my OpEd in the Mercury Newspaper today. #politas 🧵

There are always consequences to decisions that need to be thought through BEFORE making decisions. With an ageing population and ⬆️ health services demand plus the need for ⬆️ STEM knowledge and skills,why on earth stop subsidising laboratory technicians?! #politas www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

This is occurring because Australia failed to plan for an ageing population. We are just at the start. Successive governments have tried to 'grow our way out of it' through economic growth, exacerbating the issue over the longer term (i.e.⬇️TFR) #politas #auspol www.themercury.com.au/health/wellb...

The reality is that for all age groups apart from those 45 to 69 years, more people are leaving Tasmania than arriving here to live. Since 2021 on ave.13K arrive and 16K depart each year with a net loss of 2.7K. Whole families are leaving. The reasons are likely multifactor and personal. #politas

If the response to this is ‘let’s build a stadium’ I will scream 😱 We need systemic responses to systemic issues. Act with a sense of purpose. #politas Brain drain fears amid youth exodus from Tasmania www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmani...

Today at 4pm I’ll be chatting with David Reilly on ABC Drive @4ish to chat all things ‘climate refugee migration’ to Tasmania #politas Hint - more Tasmanians move to Queensland that Queenslanders move to Tasmania. I reckon there will be a few taswegians in QLD for the school hols, too #wishiwas 😊