There is an emerging wave of proposals for reducing public sector wage bills in federal and state governments, as well as universities. The differential impact of such policy urgently needs to be assessed.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted revenues for many public institutions in Australia, from transport to higher education. Initial government responses to the economic fallout of the crisis have been crucial to ensuring equity, for instance, public transfers for wage and childcare subsidies and unemployment benefits have been expanded. But as longer-term economic recovery plans are being drawn up, public austerity appears to be taking hold. 

 

The economic crisis and its management raises large gender and related equity questions. Key issues addressed by our panellists include:

 

Associate Professor Fiona Jenkins, Convenor of the ANU Gender Institute, will chair the discussion. 

 

Panellists:

Trish Bergin, Co-Director Governance, 50/50 by 2030 Foundation, University of Canberra

Alison Pennington, Senior Economist, Centre for Future Work, Australia Institute

Tony Dreise, Director, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, ANU

Rebecca Pearse, Lecturer in School of Sociology and the Fenner School, ANU

 

 

AUDIO PODCAST (30.8 MB)

MEDIA: The new austerity: why it will hurt women more than men, by Julie Hare, editor of BroadAgenda 22 June 2020