It is refreshing to read Christine Lagarde’s recent speech to the London School of Economics – the Amartya Sen lecture as a counter to the unending negative assessments which have emerged since the 2014 Federal Budget. What a different mindset this represents to that of the Australian government’s constricted outlook and discourse – as reflected in its…

As the cold truth of the effects of the 2014 Budget come to light day by day, particularly its effects on people on low and middle incomes,  novelist Armistead Maupin’s description of contemporary American life – these new hard times – seems now particularly befitting for Australia. The description is used in Maupin’s  reprise of his Tales of the City…

The 2014 Federal Budget has ushered in a sweeping set of reforms to Australian social and economic landscape. My commentary is – https://theconversation.com/young-people-are-now-on-the-edge-of-our-reconfigured-welfare-state-26697 https://theconversation.com/federal-budget-2014-political-experts-react-26574

The Abbott Government’s National Commission of Audit released its report on 1 May. Here is what I said about it in a hastily written article for the Conversation: Commission of Audit wants to rip up Australia’s social contract There is much more that could be said and many more of the policy recommendations warrant thorough…

A few days ago, the Conversation published my latest article on what is being canvassed for the May budget – a rise in the pension eligibility age to 70 to take effect later in the 2020s. We will know the detail in a couple of weeks. The paper argues that just because life expectancy is…

An article in today’s Age about the decline of middle class jobs in the USA has highlighted some of the issues I have raised in a number of articles.  The Age reports on a study undertaken by the National Employment Law Project in the USA.  The NELP describes a ‘low wage recovery’ and  relates concerns…

The Federal Government’s determination to repeal Section 18C of the federal Racial Discrimination Act, which prohibits racial abuse sets a troubling precedent in relation to other forms of discrimination in Australia. The specious argument put forward by Attorney General George Brandis, is that Section 18C inhibits freedom of speech and that people “people do have a right…

Young people always like to think that as they get older, their circumstances will become easier – that they will be consolidated in their careers, in a stable family situation, and, of course, secure financially. But midlife is full of risks for many people and more so than ever with the rapidly changing labour market.…

President Obama’s 2014  State of Union address was admirable at many levels, expanding themes of his 2013 address.  His wishes for Americans include jobs growth foremost, but also a rise in the minimum wage, better health care coverage, equality of opportunity for women, and increased focus on education from early childhood to college levels. His overarching…

The Conversation looks at a new report from the Productivity Commission on labour mobility. In the article, I commented that the polarisation in the labour market between ‘good’ jobs and ‘bad’ jobs  makes it hard for people to move around for jobs. Why would you leave your home, your family, your community for a casual or…