Australia’s Fiscal Straightjacket | OCCASIONAL PAPER
In his new discussion paper for the Centre for Policy Development, Fred Argy demolishes eight myths underpinning what currently passes for “fiscal conservatism” in Australia. The view that neither taxes nor public debt levels...
Howard’s reforms and Australian values | DISCUSSION PAPER
This paper by Fred Argy discusses the impact of John Howard’s WorkChoices and welfare-to-work agenda on workforce participation, productivity, equality, personal freedom and self-reliance – values highly prized by Australians. It then outlines an...
Equality of Opportunity: Levelling the playing field
Social mobility requires free and competitive markets, a lightly regulated labour market and active redistribution strategies, according to Fred Argy. Any attempt to remove the barriers to social mobility through active social investment should...
Does high employment require high social inequality?
Fred Argy delves into Northern Europe’'s success in social and economic policy, and asks if Australia will ever give the social investment model a fair go
Dealing with joblessness and income inequality: has Australia taken the wrong turn?
All governments keep a sensitive eye on what is happening to inequality of incomes and inequality of opportunity because they want to be seen to be fair and because sharing the nation’s incremental prosperity...
Comment on The Common Wealth – Fred Argy
This is a very laudable project for the authors of the Common Wealth but one that is very challenging. While one could argue about the particular values chosen (e.g. why is economic efficiency, which...
Is Australia’s egalitarian society slipping away?
Focussing on the role that egalitarian values might play in a fair society, by Fred Argy