Author Description

"Australian people have for a very long time valued the image of Australia as a very egalitarian nation and successive governments, both liberal and conservative, have tailored their taxation and social policies in an effort to maintain this popular belief. While many continue to hold this view, there is growing evidence that inequalities in income and wealth are increasing and that current government policies are failing to address this issue. A recent report by a national peak body of the community services and welfare sector states that despite decades of economic growth, income and wealth have become more concentrated in the hands of fewer people. Furthermore, the rate of rising inequality in Australia has been faster than many comparable OECD countries as measured by the change in household Gini coefficient (Australian Council of Social Service 2015). The findings of the present study offer up-to-date evidence that can inform the development of future government policy on economic and social inequality in Australia."--Page 29-30.