Skip to content

On Monday, 27 October 2025, delegates from the super sector came together at Parliament House in Canberra for the inaugural SMC Super Summit, sponsored by IFM investors.  
 
The SMC Super Summit 2025 brought together Australia’s super leaders, policymakers, and global experts for high-impact discussion, collaboration, and inspiration. 
 
Themed “Supercharging Members’ Futures,” the event focused on the pivotal role of super in shaping retirement outcomes for millions of Australians, and the opportunities and challenges facing the sector in a rapidly changing world. 
 
The event served as a launchpad for a new SMC report: Retirement revolution – Simpler smarter retirement. The report highlighted new data on the financial circumstances and characteristics of retirees, and new retirement solutions that will improve income and living standards for retirees. This report will be released to the public this week.  

The event also featured a keynote on the geopolitical landscape from HE the Hon Dr Kevin Rudd AC, Australia’s Ambassador to the USA, and an update from Treasurer Jim Chalmers on the Government’s priorities and reform agenda for this term of Parliament, focusing on super and retirement policy. 
 
The summit welcomed international experts, including Patrick Heath-Lay (CEO, People’s Partnership UK), Dr Deborah Ralston, and Professor Hazel Bateman, who shared lessons from leading retirement systems, focusing on adequacy, sustainability, and member engagement. 

Commissioner Simone Constant (ASIC) and Deputy Chair Margaret Cole (APRA) joined a conversation on the future of Australia’s retirement system with SMC’s Nick Coates.  
 
The day concluded with a parliamentary networking event and a summit dinner, where a highlight was a fireside chat with The Hon Dr Daniel Mulino MP and Pat Conaghan MP, moderated by Misha Schubert, offering candid insights into the political landscape shaping super. 
 
The SMC Super Summit 2025 showcased the sector’s commitment to innovation, global best practice, and member-first outcomes. With a stellar lineup of speakers—including members of Parliament, Ambassadors, regulators, and industry leaders—the event fostered collaboration and set the agenda for the future of super in Australia. 

Share this article
LinkedInXFacebook
Related Blogs
 

Unpaid super is making women poorer. Fixing it is urgent

29/08/2025

In a country that prides itself on making major strides on gender equity, it’s shocking that one in four working women are being short-changed on their super each year. This week, SMC released a new report that lays bare the scale of the challenge. Unpaid super costs the typical working woman in Australia more than $26,000 by the time she retires. That’s on top of the fact that women already retire with a quarter less super than men. Unpaid super makes it harder to close that gender super gap.
 

From The White House to Number 10 Downing Street

24/10/2025

From The White House to Number 10 Downing Street, Australian pension capital was at the centre of headline-grabbing geopolitical discussions this week, underscoring the global reach and influence of Australia’s $4.3 trillion superannuation system.   In the US, President Donald Trump appeared alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to announce a deal between the two nations. A statement released by the White House included a reference to modelling by the Super Members Council, showing a forecast increase in the US investment pipeline from Australian super funds of $US1.44 trillion over the next decade.

 

LISTO update: A win for fairness in the super system

17/10/2025

To quote Ernest Hemingway, change has a way of happening “gradually, then suddenly”. That’s how this week felt for anyone who has been advocating for a lift to the low income super tax offset (LISTO). Frozen for 13 years, LISTO is a fairness measure to top up the super of low-income workers, but it has fallen behind changes to tax brackets and super contribution rates. On Monday, Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced the Government will unfreeze the LISTO, boosting the super savings of 1.3 million low-paid workers, mostly women.
Subscribe to be notified of 
updates directly into your inbox
Subscribe today