A social agenda for equity and efficiency

This working paper suggests that social reformers might need to reframe and repackage their policies in such a way as to alleviate the concerns about economic costs and welfare dependency.

The kind of social agenda they should aim for is one which provides basic income support but which also:

• reduces the long-term competitive disadvantage of the poor in the job market
• facilitates the process of longer term personal and structural adjustment
• includes a considerable self-help element.

This paper belongs to an occasional series published jointly by the Brotherhood of St. Laurence and the Centre for Public Policy at the University of Melbourne.

It is developed from a presentation at a symposium ‘From welfare state to social investment state?' on 5 July 2004