More or Less Poverty? The Howard Years Assessed

Recent research has shown that income inequality has largely remained unchanged since the Coalition government came into office. The argument taken is that a heavily redistributive tax and social security system coupled with spending on social services such as health and education has largely compensated for any widening in earnings. Is this the case? And if it is, why is it that such a long and sustained economic boom has not done more to improve the circumstances of those at the bottom end of the income distribution?

In this joint Brotherhood of St Laurence / Centre for Public Policy seminar, leading Australian commentators Dr. Michael Keating and Associate Professor Alison McClelland are joined by Rosanna Scutella from the Brotherhood of St Laurence to discuss what exactly has happened to inequality and poverty under the Coalition government.