Social Policy

The non-economic causes of political trust deficits – The function of trust Part 1 of 2

cat.kutay — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 00:53:05 +0000

Good democratic governance requires those in power to both be seen as both trustworthy and representing voters , effectively and fairly.

Unhealthy Tribalism

cat.kutay — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 00:51:21 +0000

The marriage equality survey has re-enforced the tribal type divides that now seem increasingly endemic in our socially defined political differences.

Feminist options: revive the Social Contract and fix the trust deficit.

cat.kutay — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 00:50:13 +0000

So the ALP lost the election and everyone has a post mortem explanation of what went wrong (eg Ian Macaulay: it’s the economy)or what needs to be the future focus (Albo: It’s jobs, we are here for the workers). Yet the big story should be how voters reflected increasing distrust

Redeeming Inequality:

cat.kutay — Sun, 24 Sep 2017 02:26:00 +0000

Inequality – my thesaurus offers eight synonyms of the word. Four simply describe it, while four signal negative feelings and perceptions; discrimination, unfairness, inequity, disproportion. None express inequality as a material or monetary difference, yet these popular definitions are core to the current use of the concept – as offering an explanation for all the problems of the dominant neoliberal paradigm.

Much of the data used to justify the welfare card is flawed

cat.kutay — Sun, 24 Sep 2017 02:12:34 +0000

Cashless welfare unsuccessful and unwelcome

cat.kutay — Sun, 24 Sep 2017 02:07:09 +0000

As I am writing this, with the radio on, Christian Porter, the cabinet minister in charge of welfare, is announcing the local government area of Canterbury-Bankstown in New South Wales as the first site for his welfare recipient drug trial. This is the latest foray into increasingly conservative, paternalistic changes to our welfare system, already one of the meanest in the OECD.

Author and academic Eva Cox in the Saturday Paper

cat.kutay — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 03:42:58 +0000

A small card dangles from sticky tape on her front door, on which her name is scrawled in swift cursive: Eva Cox. Inside the house, tacked to one of the bookshelves that line the narrow hallway, is a fabric poster. In bright red lettering it reads: FEMMO – STIRRING THE PENIS POT. Bustling around her cluttered kitchen, Eva jams the bunch of lavender I’ve brought into a glass jug. “I love lavender,” she says, and I agree. She fetches napkins and a knife for the cake.

The state of Australia: welfare and inequality

cat.kutay — Wed, 14 May 2014 04:09:51 +0000

In the lead-up to the budget, the story of crisis has been hammered home, but there’s more to a country than its structural deficit. So how is Australia doing overall? In this special series, ten writers to take a broader look at the State of Australia; our health, wealth, education, culture, environment, well-being and international standing.

Creeping spread of income management must be challenged

cat.kutay — Wed, 14 May 2014 04:08:00 +0000

One of the bizarre bipartisan policy overlaps between the Coalition and Labor is in the area of income support known as welfare payments. Labor has been seen as the party that cared about the poor and disadvantaged, but the former ALP government adopted and extended a range of the Howard government’s paternalistic and punitive measures.

Too little too late on Newstart, Bill and Albo — you had the evidence to act

cat.kutay — Wed, 14 May 2014 03:55:18 +0000

Labor leadership contenders Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese had the evidence proving their cuts to Newstart were unfair. Their support for increasing parental support now is cold comfort.

The belated acknowledgement by the two Labor leadership contenders that cutting single-parent payments had been a mistake is sad — they should have fixed it a few months ago while they still had the power.

The Major Parties' War On The Undeserving Poor

cat.kutay — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 01:22:44 +0000

Punitive controls over welfare and cuts to payments have featured during Labor's time in office, because they agree with Abbott - poverty is caused by dysfunction, not exclusion.

Prejudiced policymaking underlies Labor’s cuts to single parent payments

cat.kutay — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 00:55:02 +0000

There’s no doubt that last week’s stoush between Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott over sexism and misogyny was extraordinary.

Income management: more evidence-free policymaking?

cat.kutay — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 08:29:31 +0000

It seems the Coalition will expand the compulsory income management scheme, which has little evidence backing up its worth.

For a brief moment, it looked as though the Coalition would be better than the ALP on welfare policy. It appeared that the new government would listen to evidence for policy changes in its newly retitled Social Services portfolio.

Eva Cox: The feminist scorecard and how Gillard and Abbott rate

cat.kutay — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 00:46:26 +0000

Recently, debates about policies have disappeared under an avalanche of sexist, misogynist nonsense and the commentary on it. Please note, I continue to oppose the abhorrent gender-based attacks on the Prime Minister, but see these as separate from the policy stuff. So let's shift the focus back on what is done or on offer.

NT Labor counts the cost of federal and state indigenous policies

cat.kutay — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 08:24:41 +0000

The ALP losses in the Northern Territory are fairly clearly related to Aboriginal rejection of their treatment – not just what was done to them, but how it was done.

Social Policy

The non-economic causes of political trust deficits – The function of trust Part 1 of 2

Archive:

Unhealthy Tribalism

Archive:

Feminist options: revive the Social Contract and fix the trust deficit.

Archive:

Redeeming Inequality:

Archive:

Much of the data used to justify the welfare card is flawed

Archive:

Cashless welfare unsuccessful and unwelcome

Archive:

Author and academic Eva Cox in the Saturday Paper

Archive:

The state of Australia: welfare and inequality

Archive:

Creeping spread of income management must be challenged

Archive:

Too little too late on Newstart, Bill and Albo — you had the evidence to act

Archive:

The Major Parties' War On The Undeserving Poor

Archive:

Prejudiced policymaking underlies Labor’s cuts to single parent payments

Archive:

Income management: more evidence-free policymaking?

Archive:

Eva Cox: The feminist scorecard and how Gillard and Abbott rate

Archive:

NT Labor counts the cost of federal and state indigenous policies

Archive:

Social Policy

The non-economic causes of political trust deficits – The function of trust Part 1 of 2

Archive:

Unhealthy Tribalism

Archive:

Feminist options: revive the Social Contract and fix the trust deficit.

Archive:

Redeeming Inequality:

Archive:

Much of the data used to justify the welfare card is flawed

Archive:

Cashless welfare unsuccessful and unwelcome

Archive:

Author and academic Eva Cox in the Saturday Paper

Archive:

The state of Australia: welfare and inequality

Archive:

Creeping spread of income management must be challenged

Archive:

Too little too late on Newstart, Bill and Albo — you had the evidence to act

Archive:

The Major Parties' War On The Undeserving Poor

Archive:

Prejudiced policymaking underlies Labor’s cuts to single parent payments

Archive:

Income management: more evidence-free policymaking?

Archive:

Eva Cox: The feminist scorecard and how Gillard and Abbott rate

Archive:

NT Labor counts the cost of federal and state indigenous policies

Archive:

Redeeming Inequality: