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From Welfare State to Social Investment State? - Half-day SymposiumBrotherhood of St Laurence/VCOSS/Centre for Public PolicyHalf-day Symposium Click here to access information about the venue, food, parking etc. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT
IS NOW SOLD OUT.
Introduction Social policy has made a welcome return to centre stage in the 2004 federal election. Tax cuts or quality social services has emerged as one of the defining issues. Does this indicate a revival of the 'welfare state' or, is it a sign of an emerging new social- economic policy regime, the 'social investment state'. This symposium considers new rationales for social spending associated with the concept of the 'social investment state'. Over recent decades social spending came to be seen as more or less parasitical on the market economy. Today we see new arguments for social spending. We find a new emphasis on the costs of 'non social policy'; on individual and community capacity building as much as traditional rights to income support; and on ways good social policy also promotes strong economies through increasing social and human capital. Does this suggest the outline of a new more complementary balance between our social and economic objectives. The symposium offers an overview of developments in the United Kingdom and Europe; an economist's interpretation; together with perspectives from the key social policy areas of education and housing. A Social Agenda for Efficiency and Equity Fred Argy Distinguished economist and commentator During his long career in the Commonwealth public service, Fred Argy served as Secretary to the path-breaking Inquiry on the Australian Financial System (Campbell report) in 1979-81, Ambassador to the OECD (1983-5) and senior policy adviser in several departments, including Treasury. His last position in the public service was as Director of the Economic planning Advisory Commission. Since retiring from the Public Service in 1991, he has been President of the Economic Society of Australia, Project Director with the Committee for Economic Development, Director of Legal & General Australia and a member of the Commonwealth Grants Commission. He is currently a Visiting Fellow at the ANU where he lectures occasionally on public policy. Although now mainly retired, he is an active participant in Australian public policy debate. He has published widely, including several journal articles and books. His 1998 book, Australia at the Crossroads: radical free market or progressive liberalism? Allen & Unwin, attracted considerable debate. His new book Where to from here? Australian Egalitarianism Under Threat was released in April 2003. During his period in the public service he was awarded an OBE and an AM for services to economic planning. As well as having a Master Degree in Economics from Sydney University (1961), he has recently been awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Science in Economics by that same university. Download Fred Argy's notes (Word document, 35.5 kb) Putting a Positive Gloss on Welfare State Restructuring: Recent British and EU Experience. Professor Catherine Jones Finer St Anne's College Oxford University Editor, Journal of Social Policy and Administration Professor Catherine Jones Finer is a graduate of Oxford University (modern history) and of the London School of Economics (PhD in the field of immigration and social policy). She has taught in the Universities of Manchester and Birmingham, specialising in comparative social policy development. She retired from Birmingham as Honorary Professor of Comparative Social Policy in 2001. She has authored and edited a number of books and numerous papers, including Patterns of Social Policy (1985); Promoting Prosperity: The Hong Kong way of social policy (Latest edition 1993), Comparing the Social Policy Experience of Britain & Taiwan (2001), Social Policy Reform in China (2003). Soon to be released Social Policy and the Commonwealth: Prospects for Social Inclusion to be published by Macmillan in 2004, edited with Professor Paul Smyth. Professor Jones Finer continues to be editor (special and regional issues) of the Journal of Social Policy & Administration. Evolving Approaches to Neighbourhood Renewal: The UK Experience Professor Duncan MacLennan Chief Economist Dept of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria Duncan Maclennan graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1972 with an MA (First Class Honours) in Economics and Geography. He was awarded the Silver Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society as the best Scottish graduate of 1972 as well as the University Essay Prize of the Royal (UK) Geographical Society. He then pursued, again at Glasgow, an M.Phil in Urban and Regional Economics. Duncan has spent most of the last 30 years as an applied economist at the University of Glasgow. His work has embraced a number of economic and financial aspects of housing systems, planning, urban economic development and, to a lesser extent, urban environmental issues. He was appointed to a Chair in Applied Economics in 1984 and he was then, in 1989, also made Professor of Urban Studies. In 1993 he became the first occupant of the newly endowed Mactaggart Chair of Land Economics and Finance. Duncan has also occupied visiting Chairs in the Wharton Business School (Finance department 1988/89), the University of Cambridge (1993), The University of California at Berkeley (1996, as Regents' Professor), the London School of Economics (1996-99) and RMIT (2002 and 2003). He is currently an Honorary Professor of the University of Glasgow and is being appointed as an adjunct professor at RMIT. Government Spending in Post-compulsory Education: Middle Class Welfare or Social Investment? Dr Julie Wells Principal Policy Advisor to the Vice Chancellor, RMIT Dr Julie Wells is currently Principal Policy Adviser to VC, RMIT, and will be Acting Director, Policy and Planning from June 2004. RMIT is a large university of technology with a reputation for excellence in design, visual arts and science and technology. In this capacity, Dr Wells provides strategic advice and operational support to the VC and Executive on policy matters affecting the work of the University and the postcompulsory education sector more generally. Prior to her position at RMIT, Dr Wells was Policy and Research Coordinator for the National Tertiary Education Union. Shes has extensive experience in advocacy, policy development and implementation on matters relating to higher education and research, lobbying and liaison at State and Federal levels, media liaison and writing for publication. Dr Wells has also worked as an academic, research officer, electorate officer for State MP and schoolteacher. Chairpersons include: Professor Mark Considine Director, Centre for Public Policy, University of Melbourne Mark Considine is a graduate of the University of Melbourne and his areas of expertise include Australian politics, comparative social policy, public sector reform, governance and public administration, and organisational sociology. He is currently the Director of the Centre for Public Policy. In 2000 he won the American Society for Public Administration's Marshall E. Dimmock Award for the best lead article published in Public Administration Review, with his co-author, Jenny M Lewis. In 2001 he won the American Educational research Association's Book of the Year for The Enterprise University, written with Simon Marginson. He is also involved in assisting government and the community sector in a number of projects and organisational reviews including the Premier's Working Party of Strategic Partnerships with the Community Sector. Professor Brian Howe Centre for Public Policy, University of Melbourne Professor Brian Howe is a Professorial Associate in the Centre for Public Policy. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Australia (1991-95), a member of the Federal Cabinet (1984-96) and held a range of Ministerial portfolios in the fields of Defence, Social Security, Health, Housing and Community Services. His administration of these portfolios was distinguished by a number of major policy initiatives, particularly in relation to employment and welfare. He teaches in the Centre's post-graduate program, and is conducting research into sustainable social policy, which examines the conflicting priorities between social and economic policy. He is currently a co-chief investigator on an ARC project titled From Risk to Opportunity: Labour Markets in Transition. He is a Research Fellow in the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton, and in 1998 was Frederick H. Schultz Class of 1951 Professor there. Cath Smith CEO, Victorian Council of Social Services VCOSS is the peak body for the social and community service sector in Victoria and advocates for the development of a sustainable, fair and equitable society. VCOSS members reflect a wide diversity with members ranging from large charities, sector peak organisations, small community services, advocacy groups and individuals active in social policy debates. Cath started as CEO at the Victorian Council of Social Service in September 2002, after twenty years working in the non-government sector in London and Melbourne. Migrating from the UK with a background in Environmental Science and welfare rights advice, Cath worked at the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Conservation Council of Victoria for six years in the 1980s, and at Oxfam Community Aid Abroad for ten years from 1991 to 2001. Cath has worked in policy, advocacy, campaigning, events management, communications, fundraising, marketing, as well as operational & senior management and external consulting roles. Professor Paul Smyth Centre for Public Policy, University of Melbourne and Brotherhood of St Laurence Professor Paul Smyth is currently Professor of Social Policy at the Centre for Public Policy at the University of Melbourne and General Manager Social Action and Research at the Brotherhood of St Laurence. Professor Smyth's diverse career combines academic and social action experience. Prior to his CPP/BS appointment, Professor Smyth was at the University of Queensland where he has been Director of Social Policy and Research and Development at the School of Social Work and Social Policy. Before that Paul was senior researcher with Uniya, the Jesuit social research and action centre at Kings Cross in Sydney. A former Catholic priest, he also worked for 20 years in youth and family care. At both the Centre and the Brotherhood, Professor Smyth will lead research and development of policy with emphases on social investment, promoting social inclusion and partnership governance of solutions to Australia's social problems. well as international perspectives on social inclusion. |
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