Australian governments are increasingly living beyond their means. They are going to need to make tough choices to balance their budgets. But which choices will really make a difference? Should we broaden the GST? Raise the age pension age? Get rid of superannuation concessions? How much would these save, and what might the consequences be?
With the Victorian and Commonwealth budgets looming, and the Commission of Audit due to report soon, these questions are more pressing than ever. This Policy Pitch event provided a sneak preview of Grattan’s upcoming report on the state of our budgets, and discussed what can be done to repair them.
Dr John Daley is the CEO at Grattan Institute, and is one of Australia’s leading public policy thinkers with 20 years experience in the public, private and university sectors. He has worked for ANZ and McKinsey in a career that also includes expertise in law, finance, education, and workers compensation.
Lenore Taylor is an award-winning political journalist who has covered federal politics for twenty-two years. She is currently the political editor of Guardian Australia, and was previously the national affairs correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald. Lenore is a regular commentator on radio and TV, including the ABC’s Insiders program.
Interested in delving deeper into this subject? We have prepared a reading list for you!
State Library of Victoria
- 1890s – An editorial from The Australasian of 4-Aug-1894 critising the Victorian government’s budget. “Has the Government any real understanding of the position into which the colony has drifted?”
- 1930s – A “short description” of the Premiers’ Plan, a common policy formulated by the “Commonwealth and State Governments for combating a position of acute financial disorder and general distress.”
- 1990s – A front page story from The Age of 06-Apr-1993 about the Kennett/Stockdale budget. “Surgeon Stockdale’s cure – cut more jobs”
Grattan Institute
The Policy Pitch is a joint initiative of the State Library of Victoria and Grattan Institute to provide a public interest series on key policy themes. These free public seminars will offer lively, intelligent and thoughtful debate.