Earlier in 2014, the Minister for Social Services, Kevin Andrews set up a review of Australia’s social welfare system. The interim report of the review panel was released a few days ago.

It is a long and complex report with many layers of ideas for changing the present system to make it more efficient and effective according  tothe report’s authors  – or will these ideas erode the foundations of the system leading it in a direction more aligned to that in the United States – lots of nasty black holes and inadequate  levels of payments – if there are any. See my observations about US social welfare in this article: No through road: path to prosperity eludes America’s jobless poor

But as I point out in my latest article for the Conversation the report raises many uncomfortable questions about the future of social welfare in Australia especially in terms of social equity and poverty alleviation.  Strangely, the report does not even mention the massive changes to social welfare for people under the age of 30 announced in the last budget.

My article is here –

Welfare review fails to understand Australia’s labour market

There are a lot of comments following the article including a number of my own.  The comments are well worth reading.