Equality Speaks
Australia may have dodged the bullet that has put the US, Britain and most European economies on life support, but our 2009 collection of essays shows that – despite our enviable economic position – Australia is not the egalitarian paradise that many believe it to be.
Equality Speaks features an eclectic mix of writers who highlight a common challenge – to use our (relatively) stable economic times to make the shift to a fairer Australia. It brings together some of our sharpest minds to look at paths to a more equal Australia in areas like transport, homelessness, education, women, tax, refugees, work and employment amongst others. It includes new research on the distribution of wealth in Australia.Equality Speaks Introduction
"It falls to our generation to make one of the biggest transformations in human history... Greater equality is the material foundation on which better social relations are built." WILKINSON AND PICKETT
Equality Speaks looks at challenges for a fair society. It draws on a diverse group of researchers, writers and practitioners to highlight the nature and impact of inequality in today’s Australia.
The stories and statistics in this report follow a boom decade for our economy. During this time, much of our political energy has celebrated the ‘success’ of the free market.
Equality Speaks tells the real story. It shows that a good life requires little — to start with a decent education, a secure and safe job, a stable home and access to affordable health and other services when we need them. Surprisingly these things are beyond the reach of many Australians.
The contributions in this report starkly demonstrate that inequality and disadvantage is often caused by more than one factor. Joined-up policies are vital.
As part of this report Catalyst commissioned new data on wealth equality in Australia from the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling. This shows that those on the higher end of the income scale have reaped the benefits of Australia’s economic growth, through ever increasing levels of personal wealth. This has been at the expense of those at the other end of the income scale, whose share of personal wealth has declined relative to those high-income earners.
Since late 2008 the near collapse of global financial system has exposed the fragility of the free market. This has resulted in a huge injection of taxpayer funds around the world to bail out our failing financial system. Governments have played a key role in stabilising world economies, and there is the possibility of creating a new deal of direct government involvement in the economy.
Author: Jo-anne Schofield
Download the Introduction61 KB
