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Originally published in ABC The Drum on June 7, 2013

A lot of the debate in Australia reflects concern about our future and how budgetary pressures are likely to evolve. The backdrop of the discussion is a profile of the predicted population in 40 years, what that means for expenditure and how we should be preparing for that outcome. The intergenerational reports have provided a useful service by presenting projections 40 years ahead and examining what is likely to happen given present demographic and other trends. But how seriously should we treat these predictions?

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