Category Archives: Inequality

A super con – The Monthly

Posted on April 5, 2015 by Warwick Smith

Why compulsory superannuation benefits the financial industry and the rich at the expense of everyone else Published at The Monthly By Warwick Smith Tuesday, 24th March 2015 Superannuation is mostly a con. It involves the funnelling of vast amounts of … Continue reading →

Posted in Australian politics, Economic theory, Inequality | Tagged dependency ratio, Economic policy, pension, superannuation, The Monthly | Leave a comment

Conservative ideology and the Intergenerational Report: why Hockey had to remove all reference to inequality

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Warwick Smith

By Warwick Smith A search of the government’s recently released Intergenerational Report for the word “inequality” yields zero results. The same is true for “income distribution” and “wealth distribution”. This is not surprising because conservatives are basically forced by their … Continue reading →

Posted in Australian politics, Inequality, Political philosophy | Tagged Economic policy, income distribution, Income inequality, inequality, Intergenerational report, political theory | Leave a comment

The war on waged labour – The Monthly

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Warwick Smith

This piece published today at The Monthly online. The war on waged labour Penalty rates are under threat. What is at stake? By Warwick Smith – Monday, 9th March 2015 Despite being haunted by the spectre of WorkChoices, the campaign by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Australian politics, Inequality, political economy | Tagged Economic policy, industrial relations, labour, penalty rates, The Monthly, unemployment | Leave a comment

Hockey’s G20 plan says economic growth is more important than a civilized and humane world

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Warwick Smith

By Warwick Smith Punishing the unemployed in Australia for the lack of available jobs is not enough, Joe Hockey wants all of the G20 countries to adopt his cruel policies. The Australian Government’s growth strategy prepared for this month’s G20 … Continue reading →

Posted in Australian politics, Inequality | Tagged art, inequality, politics, unemployment | 1 Comment

His solutions are wrong, but it’s a good sign when even Rupert Murdoch is worried about inequality

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Warwick Smith

It would be a mistake to dismiss Murdoch’s concerns about inequality as nothing more than self-interest. It’s a victory for advocates of regulated markets. By Warwick Smith First published at The Guardian, Tuesday 28 October 2014 16.00 AEST Rupert Murdoch … Continue reading →

Posted in Inequality, philosophy of economics, tax economics | Tagged John Steinbeck, Nordic model, politics, Rupert Murdoch, tax to GDP ratio, taxation, The Guardian | Leave a comment

Snowpiercer, a film that makes you cheer against yourself

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Warwick Smith

By Warwick Smith The bizarre and gratuitously violent, soon-to-be-cult movie that is Snowpiercer is in a long tradition of film and fiction writing that casts radical judgment on its audience. The teenage cult sensation The Hunger Games sits in powerful … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, Inequality, movie review, Political philosophy | Tagged asylum seekers, class, immigration, snowpiercer | 2 Comments

My article in today’s Guardian – The United States of Australia?

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Warwick Smith

Are we witnessing the emergence of the United States of Australia? Australia can have its cake and eat it too, because a healthy and materially secure population will repay enormous economic dividends. Instead, we’re going further down the US pathin … Continue reading →

Posted in Australian politics, Inequality, Op-ed, Political philosophy | Tagged economic growth, Economic policy, inequality, tax to GDP ratio, taxation policy, The Guardian, wellbeing | Leave a comment

Budget vision

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Warwick Smith

By Warwick Smith No other event equals the release of a federal budget for a clear statement of what the government really intends for the country. Almost everything else they do is smoke and mirrors. The budget tells us who … Continue reading →

Posted in Australian politics, Economic theory, Inequality, political economy | Tagged budget, Economic policy, inequality, politics | 2 Comments

My new article in The Conversation – Tax reform is hard…so it’s time for an independent tax board

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Warwick Smith

Just published today. Tax reform is hard…so it’s time for an independent tax board By Warwick Smith, University of Melbourne The federal government’s Commission of Audit – tasked with finding efficiency and productivity improvements to deliver a surplus of 1% … Continue reading →

Posted in Inequality, Political philosophy, tax economics | Tagged Economic policy, Ken Henry, taxation policy, The Conversation | Leave a comment

New article in The Conversation – Ageing population and mining: a tale of two booms

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Warwick Smith

The below article just published today in The Conversation. Click here to read the original. Ageing population and mining: a tale of two booms By Warwick Smith, University of Melbourne In an unusual move, Mission Australia and the Business Council … Continue reading →

Posted in Inequality, superannuation, tax economics | Tagged baby boomers, inequality, Ken Henry, mining, rent-seeking, resource rent tax, superannuation, taxation, The Conversation, wellbeing | 1 Comment