Can he confirm that (a) an applicant must be 75 years of age, or older, to be eligible for a five-year passport and (b) that citizens are eligible to receive an aged pension from 65 years of age; if so, (i) why there is a discrepancy between these two benchmarks and (ii) what is the methodology used to determine age eligibility categories for passports.

(a)

Yes

(b)

Eligibility for an aged pension is a matter for the Minister for Human Services.

(i)

In relation to passport applications, the term “senior” is used by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to refer to Australians who are 75 years or over. The term is not associated with the varying definitions used by other organisations in Australia.

(ii)

The decision to offer a five-year passport to Australians aged 75 years and over was in response to considerable feedback from people in that particular age group. The decision recognises the needs of a group of Australians who wish to undertake limited travel overseas at this time of their life.