Description
Inclusive Growth in Australia overturns two decades of assumptions that social policy is wasteful and a source of dependency. It reflects a global resurgence of the understanding that an active and effective social policy regime is vital not only for a flourishing society, but also for a strong economy. It explains this new paradigm of inclusive growth and shows how it can be implemented in Australia.
Inclusive growth dismantles the idea that social development will automatically trickle down from untrammelled market based growth. Rather, growth must be managed so that it is employment centred, broad based across sectors and with a social security system promoting sustainability and equality of opportunity. The editors argue that productivity is 'nearly everything' when it comes to raising living standards. So while social policies will be about goals other than the economy, they must demonstrate their compatibility with an economic growth strategy.
With contributions from leading national and international experts in the field including Marian Baird, Grant Belchamber, Gerald Burke, Saul Eslake, Roy Green and Peter Whiteford, Inclusive Growth in Australia shows that 'welfare state' spending is as much an economic investment as a measure of social protection.
Written for policy makers, industry and NGOs as well as students, Inclusive Growth in Australia locates Australian economic and social policy within the most important emergent themes shaping international debate.
Table of Contents
List of figures and tables
Contributors
Introduction - Paul Smyth and John Buchanan
PART I: INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL CONTEXTS
1 Economic development and inclusive growth: China and India - Pradeep Taneja
2 Social investment, inclusive growth and the Australian way - Paul Smyth
PART II: IS GROWTH INCLUSIVE IN AUSTRALIA?
3 Was economic growth in Australia pro-poor? - Francisco Azpitarte
4 Changing employment portfolios and inclusive growth in Australia: Redistributing risks at work - John Buchanan, Gary Dymski, Julie Froud, Sukhdev Johal, Karel Williams and Serena Yu
PART III: AN INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC STRATEGY
5 Productivity and inclusive growth - Saul Eslake
6 Social inclusion and the innovation agenda - Don Scott-Kemmis and Roy Green
7 Skills for growth and social inclusion - Gerald Burke
PART IV: SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, PRODUCTIVITY AND PARTICIPATION
8 Social inclusion, education and inclusive growth - Hielke Buddelmeyer
9 Health and human capital - Anthony Harris
PART V: SOCIAL SECURITY IN A FLEXIBLE ECONOMY
10 To fix a flaw and fix the floor: Unemployment insurance for Australia - Grant Belchamber
11 Income support, inequality and social risks - Peter Whiteford
12 Inclusive growth: The role of active labour market interventions - Michael Horn
13 Women, work and elder care: New policies required for inclusive growth - Marian Baird and Alexandra Heron
14 Inclusive growth and adult ageing - Simon Biggs
Notes
Index
