Dr Liz Allen
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drdemography.com
Dr Liz Allen
@drdemography.com
5.4K followers 380 following 1.4K posts
Demographer | Demography, populations, social trends, surveys, data, methods, census. Educator, researcher. | Author ‘The Future of Us’.

The original Dr Demography!

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drdemography.com
So politicians hoard homes AND charge taxpayers to cover their costs? Entitlement and rort culture from the political class is next level, especially given the attacks on people needing actual welfare.
Political expenses Taxpayers foot $1.5 million accommodation bill for politicians who already own Canberra homes Michaelia Cash has claimed $123,978 over 40 months, or more than $3000 a month, to stay in a home she owns in the capital.
January 7, 2026 at 10:13 PM
drdemography.com
Even fictitious cartoon dogs find it easier to get promoted to professor than women
• GOOD VIBES Griffith University announces renowned archaeologist Dr Bandit Heeler has been offered a professorial chair Image: Linkedin/Griffith University
December 20, 2025 at 10:05 PM
drdemography.com
Kissing. Why? ‘It's quite risky — you're literally swapping saliva, and we know we can get ill from that.’ www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...
"It's a non-agonistic interaction involving directed intraspecific oral-oral contact with some movement of the lips or mouth parts, and no food transfer," she tells triple j hack.
December 19, 2025 at 9:18 PM
drdemography.com
Net overseas migration down, latest data for Australia reveals. Decline driven by decrease in arrivals and increase in departures. www.abs.gov.au/media-centre...
Overseas migration for Australia 2015 to 2025
December 19, 2025 at 7:54 AM
drdemography.com
No to racism
December 15, 2025 at 4:55 AM
drdemography.com
Great Grattan 🔥❤️‍🔥
theconversation.com/view-from-th...
There are two glaring lessons for politicians from the Anika Wells' entitlements affair. First, don't grab greedily at every generous entitlement MPs and especially ministers can get, even if "the rules" allow you to do so. Second, if you do get into trouble, show some humility and apologise early (and often).
December 8, 2025 at 11:06 PM
drdemography.com
“I think that if we, as politicians, expect respect from the Australian public, clearly we’ve got to respect them.” PM (2015) www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...
Under the current rules, family members may travel to join or accompany a parliamentarian when the MP is away from home for the dominant purpose of parliamentary business. The dominant purpose for the family's travel, in turn, must be to support the MP's family life. For most, this means spouses and children flying to Canberra during sitting weeks or meeting the MP elsewhere in Australia when duties take them interstate.
December 8, 2025 at 10:13 PM
drdemography.com
No job allows poor performance without accountability, outside a dictatorship. This is what’s happening on government boards: unchecked poor performance and potentially problematic behaviour. Ordinary ppl answer to a boss; privileged ppl answer to no one. www.apsc.gov.au/sites/defaul...
My consultations have revealed that there is virtually no process associated with measuring and benchmarking board member performance. Poor member performance can seriously undermine board teams and entity effectiveness. I recommend an external performance review process for boards each five years that would enable Ministers and Secretaries to be alerted early about issues and, with the support of the Public Service Commissioner, address individual board member performance, including through dismissal.
December 2, 2025 at 8:06 AM
drdemography.com
#Census2026au will be the most progressive population stocktake Australia has ever seen, as gender and sexual orientation are finally added www.abs.gov.au/census/2026-...
Changes to content for the 2026 census
November 29, 2025 at 10:17 PM
drdemography.com
In honour of Australia’s first couple, did you know that most weddings occur in spring & autumn on a Saturday. Both the bride and groom are over the median age of marriage, but their backyard wedding reflects a trend toward more humble civil ceremonies. www.sbs.com.au/news/article...
The top 10 days Aussies said 'I do' in 2024
November 29, 2025 at 9:07 AM
drdemography.com
‘We have disconnected our humanity from housing’ www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
As an ageing nation, where baby boomers have become a frequent target of a cross-generational blame game, Dr Allen thinks the current housing debate - and policy approach — needs an urgent overhaul. "Australians are at war with each other in an intergenerational sense and that undermines our future, it actually doesn't help the cause," she says. "We've got a whole-of-system housing mismatch and at each stage of the life cycle, we have a problem. This is not just a young person problem - don't be fooled into thinking that.
November 8, 2025 at 9:59 PM
drdemography.com
Xmas comes a month early for #Census2026au watchers
Tuesday 25 November 2025 11:30am AEDT | First release 2026 Census topics and data release plan Presents the final topics included in the 2026 Census and the plans of how and when this information will be released. Reference period 2026
November 3, 2025 at 12:54 AM
drdemography.com
Stats NZ is moving away from traditional census taking and is seeking public input on the new era of enumeration www.stats.govt.nz/news/public-...
Public consultation opens on design of the next census 03 November 2025, 11:00am Stats NZ is seeking feedback on the proposed data collection and content for the next census. New Zealand is moving to a census model that prioritises the use of information already collected by government, known as administrative (admin) data, supported by information collected through a new annual census survey and other tailored
November 2, 2025 at 11:07 PM
drdemography.com
My colleagues and I are embarking on the first history of grandparenting in Australia, you can be involved too grandparentsaustralia.net
Liz selfie of a zoom screen with the grandparenting national snap shot
October 30, 2025 at 11:57 PM
drdemography.com
ANU appears to be in continual breach of FOI requirements to publish documents on its website. Right to Know is being relied on by the University, possibly to circumvent access to vital information, in potential breach of the law. www.anu.edu.au/freedom-of-i...
Agencies are required to publish details of documents released under the FOI Act within ten working days of an applicant being given access to the documents. The disclosure log requirement does not apply to documents released under the FOI Act containing personal or business information that ANU considers would be unreasonable to publish.
October 26, 2025 at 11:43 PM
drdemography.com
Health inequalities by ethnicity exist in Australia, but data typically used to examine such things - e.g. country of birth - tends to hide disparities. Here my colleagues and I explore this issue and highlight the need for richer ethnicity data. ijpds.org/article/view...
Using linked Census ancestry data to examine all-cause mortality by ethnicity in Australia
October 26, 2025 at 11:31 PM
drdemography.com
Standing up for childhood would be ending poverty, raising income supports, making *all* healthcare free and accessible, mental health care for all, affordable and secure housing tor everyone, funding public education fully, ending discrimination, ensuring economic justice…
Opinion Social media As the world watches, Australia stands up for childhood Decisive regulation of social media is akin to the enfranchisement of women as a piece of revolutionary social policy reform. Peter Hartcher Political and international editor
October 17, 2025 at 9:19 PM
drdemography.com
With a shed load of money?!
NSW residential property How Tara turned a 'derelict' inner west shop into a soulful family home From a burnt, graffiti-addled eyesore to a home the neighbourhood is proud of, this renovation was not for the faint of heart.
October 16, 2025 at 10:06 PM
drdemography.com
The ANU has lost its way, it ‘…has forgotten its past; or more precisely,…its corporate memory has been receding…’ And with that comes dunderhead decisions and cack-handed actions that have undermined the institution, especially since the pandemic. www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt...
ANU THE world university rankings. Major slide for ANU around 2020.
October 11, 2025 at 11:30 PM
drdemography.com
Hey, researchers/commentators! Narrative that the wrong kind of women are having too many kids while the right kind of women are having too few is grotesque. Statistical models are abstract and fail to account for the thing that makes us human: humanity. www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...
"That is a real problem in every western country: middle class women do not have enough kids. Women in the welfare system have lots of kids," Mr Abbott said. "If you're very wealthy you can afford to have as many kids as you want."
October 7, 2025 at 1:15 AM
drdemography.com
Just got home from three days at the @nteunion.bsky.social 2025 council conference. Together we are strong! Proud to be Union! Talk of governance dominated the conference. Grand things are coming. Watch this space. @nteuact.bsky.social 💪🏽✊🏽
Liz selfie in a lift. Wearing a proud to be union tee.
October 4, 2025 at 9:32 AM
drdemography.com
Is the ANU cooking the books? It appears so.

ANU financial crisis ‘claims are directly contradicted by the audited financial statements found in the ANU
Annual Report’, report shows. @australiainstitute.org.au australiainstitute.org.au/wp-content/u...
The Australia Institute Research that matters. Cooking the books at the Australian National University An analysis of the ANU accounts Audited financial statements show that the ANU made a 'profit' of $90 million in 2024 and $136 million in 2023. Despite such strong financial results, ANU leadership justifies cuts to staffing and courses by pointing to 'underlying operating deficits'. The underlying deficit changes the audited result in ways that cannot be justified. They appear designed to present a 'crisis' that is contradicted by the audited financial statements. David Richardson and Richard Denniss
October 2, 2025 at 4:10 AM
drdemography.com
Latest ANU Council vote is a proxy no confidence vote in the Council and Chancellor. My good mate James Blackwell is campaigning like a champion. James is fearless, strong, and a fierce advocate for integrity. www.anu.edu.au/about/govern...
I'm running because the Chancellor and current Council are not the leaders we need. They created this crisis we endured - while they stay, ANU's reputational damage continues. Voting for me is voting no confidence in the Chancellor and Council. Guided by Yindyamarra, I want to continue the work of my friends and colleagues Liz Allen and Francis Markham, and be your voice on Council. I also want to ensure Indigenous voices are better heard across ANU.
September 23, 2025 at 10:08 AM
drdemography.com
Details about the ANU special governance committee is live. The investigation committee reports to Council on reputational risks and is to wrap up by the time the Chancellor leaves office. A community member and a journo informed me. First I’m seeing it. www.anu.edu.au/about/govern...
Special Governance Committee Council committees On 19 August 2025, Council resolved to establish the Special Governance Committee to manage the University's response to the matters raised in the Senate Committee hearing on 12 August 2025. The Committee operates under a Charter, as approved by the Council. Member Category Member Chair Members Mr Andrew Metcalfe AO Professor Joan Leach Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Christine Nixon External Advisor
September 23, 2025 at 2:31 AM
drdemography.com
‘At ANU, that responsibility lies with Chancellor Julie Bishop. If ANU is serious about rebuilding trust, it cannot do so while Julie Bishop remains in the chair.’ - Tony Sheldon (Senate whip) www.afr.com/politics/fed...
Australian National University's year of turmoil happened while Julie Bishop was responsible for the institution's governance, and her culpability means she must now resign, says Tony Sheldon, chief whip of the Senate. "Ultimately, the responsibility [for ANU] rests with the chancellor, Julie Bishop. She presided over this continued period of dysfunction, and it was under her watch that catastrophic failures occurred," Sheldon told The Australian Financial Review.
September 22, 2025 at 5:17 AM