Welfare State
Despite a rapid increase in wealth and living standards over the past few decades, more Australians are dependent on the public purse than ever before. Today, almost one in six working age Australians relies on welfare for all or part of their income. A growing welfare state means an ever higher tax take is needed, bringing more taxpayers in to the welfare system. How can government promote individual responsibility and self-reliance, while still providing a safety net? How can patterns of joblessness and dependency be broken?
Publications
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TARGET30: Reducing the burden for future generations
| 01 Jul 2013 | Policy ForumTARGET30 is a campaign promoting smaller government and cutting government spending to less than 30% of GDP in the next 10... Read More...
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A Fair Go: Fact or Fiction?
| 09 May 2013 | Policy MonographsThe Australian ideal of a fair go is fact rather than fiction. By offering all individuals the opportunity to capitalise... Read More...
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Saving Medicare But NOT As We Know It
| 30 Apr 2013 | TARGET30 Research PapersHigh growth in health spending is the area of public expenditure that will unsustainably increase the size of government... Read More...
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TARGET30 SNAPSHOT: Saving Medicare But NOT As We Know It
| 30 Apr 2013 | TARGET30 SnapshotsHigh growth in health spending is the area of public expenditure that will unsustainably increase the size of government... Read More...
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After the Welfare State: Politicians Stole Your Future … You Can Get It Back
| 08 Apr 2013 | Occasional PapersHistory, economics, sociology, political science, and mathematics are the tools to understand and evaluate welfare states,... Read More...
Opinion & Commentary
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Gillard Deal Risks NDIS Timebomb
| 13 May 2013 | The Australian Financial ReviewIn its eagerness to lock in the funding and governance arrangements for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), ... Read More
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Only a super-style savings system now will help Medicare survive
| 30 Apr 2013 | The AustralianTHE intergenerational reports have told us repeatedly that escalating government spending on health is unsustainable in an ... Read More
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Extending NDIS poses threat
| 21 Feb 2013 | Australian Financial ReviewThe age restrictions on the NDIS are crucial in maintaining the scheme’s financial integrity and maximising its benefits.... Read More
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Increasing Newstart would be a costly failure
| 25 Jan 2013 | The PunchAn increase in the base rate of Newstart Allowance will not do much to break down the barriers to employment for the long ... Read More
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Disability pension reform key to NDIS success
| 20 Dec 2012 | Australian Financial ReviewReform of the disability support pension is necessary to maximise the benefits of the NDIS.... Read More
Ideas@TheCentre
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From parenting payment to prostitution?
| 12 Jul 2013Claims that people on welfare are being ‘forced’ into prostitution because of cuts to welfare should be treated with ...
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The Snowden scandal is a hollow victory for Beijing
| 21 Jun 2013The moral malaise at the heart of Washington’s intelligence apparatus seems mild when compared to Beijing’s use of surveillance....
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The moral case for a smaller state
| 14 Jun 2013People need to be able to sort out their own problems, rather than having the state take this responsibility away from them....
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Avoiding the carbon tax compensation nightmare
| 07 Jun 2013Little has been said about the Coalition’s backflip on its promise to abolish the carbon tax compensation package....
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Timid cuts to middle class welfare
| 17 May 2013The budget has delivered a new tax and some tinkering with the FTB system to pay for DisabilityCare instead of serious reforms ...
