A social agenda for equity and efficiency. /

August 2004 Includes bibliographical references (p. 10-11) This paper is developed from a presentation at a symposium `From welfare state to social investment state?' hosted by the Brotherhood of St Laurence, University of Melbourne Centre for Public Policy and Victorian Council of Social Services in Melbourne on 5 July 2004.

Fred Argy argues that in spite of Australia s economic prosperity, the policy shift away from egalitarianism and social spending has had damaging effects on Australian households. The policy change has been driven not by community attitudes, economic necessity; the population s ageing or social security system failure, but by the changing power structure, spawned by globalisation, in which belief in small government and self-reliance has become dominant. Responding to this political context requires a new approach, focusing less on simple income inequality and more on quality of life and equality of opportunity.

Argy_social_agenda.pdf