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 😊

Tasmania (and many Tasmanians) suffer from romanticism.

While anecdotal evidence that suggests that Tasmania is, and will be, a haven for climate 'refugees', there is little empirical evidence to support this notion. Migration is complex. More people move to other states than arrive here (except for NSW and NT) #politas www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

This is incredibly short-sighted given serious mismatch in housing demand and supply. Older people are unable to downsize due to lack of appropriate housing (wider doorways, accessible bathrooms etc) preventing young people/families getting into housing #politas www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmani...

What population data is most meaningful? A Tasmanian perspective on the ABS National, State and Territory population data released yesterday #politas lisadenny.substack.com/p/what-popul...

Today, when I was giving a webinar my screen went black. Afterwards, I found out why.

Course: Decision-making and demographic change using a systems thinking framework - 20/21 Nov Designed to expand your knowledge + understanding of the interdependent nature of the systems we work in and how decisions we make influence socio-demographic change Info: www.lisadenny.com.au #politas

No surprises here. Population change is largely predictable. Data reflects decisions made by people - where they live, if they have children and how many. Better understanding the drivers of decisions enables better prediction, planning/shaping change, informing investment and services etc #politas

Perhaps now that mainstream media has finally connected poor literacy - particularly for boys - to low productivity, we may seem some action with purpose? (thanks James Campbell) #auspol #politas🧵1/5

Great to see the Opposition Leader take on the crucial portfolios of education and economic development - the full pipeline of the education system 👏👏 #politas

More examples of not thinking through the potential consequences (particularly unintended ones) at the time of decision-making. Whatever upcoming ‘decisions’ are made re the 3Ps need to give serious consideration to potential longer term implications #systemsthinking www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...

The economic reforms of the late 20thC did not use a systems thinking approach nor consider the unintended consequences - we now have greater inequity and intergenerational unfairness. Any reforms today must consider/predict any -ve consequences and redesign. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...

At what point will we see leadership with a sense of purpose to reset this trajectory for boys in school in Tasmania? #politas

The theme of the Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCOSS) conference this week was Shaping our future together. In my Keynote Address I challenged the fatalistic suggestion that Demography is Destiny, and implored that it doesn't have to be. 🧵 #politas www.lisadenny.com.au/uploads/1/5/...

Must read from Angela Jackson from the PC “Perhaps the most powerful lever for productivity is prevention and early intervention. Stopping problems before they start, or before they escalate, can improve lives and reduce long-term costs across government.” theconversation.com/from-childca...

Important read from @rlhortle.bsky.social on that other platform. “This is your regular #politas reminder that "Democracy is rule by the people and for the people. The majority is not the people. We cannot say this too often: rule by the majority is not rule by the people."” x.com/rlhortle/sta...

FWIW - I think the Premier having no other portfolios is a very good thing. Will enable greater oversight and leadership and hopefully prevent any further oopsies moments as well as improved collaboration with the cross bench. #politas

There are 3 spots remaining in this course on 12 September - Understanding Population Dynamics through four lens’ - economic, demographic, spatial and human (there’s a fifth one, too, which you will find out about in the course!). Get in quick! #rethinkingdemographicchange #politas

Yesterday, I was invited to speak at the Tasmanian Economic Roundtable hosted by the Tasmanian Federal members of the Labor Party - I told the story of Tasmania’s current reality - our demographics, work, education and productivity #politas open.substack.com/pub/lisadenn...

The stars say there is reason for hope… justice and diplomacy is on the way 🤞😊

It was my dad’s 80th birthday yesterday, and he even made mention of the newly elected Tasmanian parliament and the need to work collaboratively together in his speech. #politas #iammyfathersdaughter

Not this demographer. Just no. This just demonstrates how little leaders/politicians know and understand fertility decision-making. Why not focus on the WHY people are not having children or as many children.

Everyday I am thankful for a little @grantdraws.bsky.social insight to get me through the day ☀️

When I read the last sentence of this last week, I was quietly hopeful that a new era of politics in Tasmania was emerging… silly me. Seems ‘continuous improvement’ is the word du jour these days, but yet to see the action. #politas

"Sadly, we don't have the same level of demand from the public to lift school education as we do in virtually any other area of public policy." Ageing populations = ageing workforces. If we don’t improve school outcomes for all, we won’t have a future workforce. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...