Budgets are a central tool of government, offering not just economic policy but defining social and environmental policies for the years ahead. The 2023 budget moves in “the direction of fairness,” but is it moving fast enough?

In this episode, we speak to Professor Paul Burke and Associate Professor Elise Klein about the impact budget priorities have on people’s daily lives, the values that underlie it, and unpacking the choices that have been made.

Discussion centred on the care economy, the level of welfare payments and the revenue needed to support our most vulnerable. Associate Professor Elise Klein says the government was in a position to do something bold after voters asked for action on poverty, inequality, and climate action. A government “going from terrible to being less terrible is still terrible,” she says, adding that a lot of people are being left behind in life-and-death situations because of the decisions of this Government in this budget.

In order to have more money to spend to solve these problems, Professor Paul Burke says Australia needs to be more efficient in raising revenue. As a country, if we created a few simple streams we could see billions of dollars available to target poverty reduction.

Professor Paul Burke is Head of the Arndt-Corden Department of Economics and Deputy Director of the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University. His research is in energy and environmental economics, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific.

Elise Klein (OAM) is an Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Crawford School. Her research is situated in the intersections and cracks of development, social policy, decoloniality and care.

Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy.

Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.

You can find full show notes at policyforum.net.

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