Is every billionaire a policy failure?
03/01/19 • 53 min
From Davos to Capitol Hill, there’s been a lot of talk recently about the mega-rich and whether they are paying their fair share in society. But are high taxes the best way to address disparity between billionaires and the rest of society? Our panel this week – Robert Breunig, Ida Kubiszewski, and Sharon Bessell – take a look at the roles and responsibilities of government and billionaires, tax systems and tax havens, and the impact of income inequality on both society and individuals.
You’ll also hear from our presenters Bob Cotton, Julia Ahrens, and Martyn Pearce, who have a look at election campaigning in Australia, Royal Commissions, and the survey this week that revealed the high level of violence against school principals. They also discuss some of the comments, questions and suggestions our listeners have left us online.
This week’s panel consists of:
Robert Breunig is a Professor at Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, and is also the director of the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute. He conducts research in three main areas: economics of the household; empirical industrial organisation; and statistical and econometric theory.
Ida Kubiszewski is a Senior Lecturer at Crawford School. Prior to this, she was an Assistant Research Professor and Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Solutions, Portland State University. She is the managing editor of magazine/journal hybrid Solutions and the managing editor and a co-editor-in-chief of the academic journal Reviews in Ecological Economics. She is also a co-founder and former-managing editor of the Encyclopedia of Earth.
Sharon Bessell is the Director of the Children’s Policy Centre at Crawford School, and Editor of Policy Forum’s Poverty: In Focus section.
Our presenters for this week’s podcast are:
Bob Cotton is a Visiting Fellow at Crawford School. He has a strong interest in public policy issues, including Australia’s engagement in the Asia Pacific Region. He is a mentor at the National Security College.
Julia Ahrens is a Communications and Engagement Coordinator at Crawford School and a presenter for Policy Forum Pod. She is also an Associate Researcher at the European Institute for Asian Studies in Brussels.
Martyn Pearce is a presenter for Policy Forum Pod and the Editor of Policy Forum.
Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:
Australia’s upcoming federal elections
Timeline of George Pell’s offences
Final report from Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
Kenneth Hayne’s banking royal commission report
Survey revealing abuse against principal’s
Background paper from royal commission into aged care
Oxfam’s report released in January 2019
Panama and paradise papers on tax avoidance
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
From Davos to Capitol Hill, there’s been a lot of talk recently about the mega-rich and whether they are paying their fair share in society. But are high taxes the best way to address disparity between billionaires and the rest of society? Our panel this week – Robert Breunig, Ida Kubiszewski, and Sharon Bessell – take a look at the roles and responsibilities of government and billionaires, tax systems and tax havens, and the impact of income inequality on both society and individuals.
You’ll also hear from our presenters Bob Cotton, Julia Ahrens, and Martyn Pearce, who have a look at election campaigning in Australia, Royal Commissions, and the survey this week that revealed the high level of violence against school principals. They also discuss some of the comments, questions and suggestions our listeners have left us online.
This week’s panel consists of:
Robert Breunig is a Professor at Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, and is also the director of the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute. He conducts research in three main areas: economics of the household; empirical industrial organisation; and statistical and econometric theory.
Ida Kubiszewski is a Senior Lecturer at Crawford School. Prior to this, she was an Assistant Research Professor and Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Solutions, Portland State University. She is the managing editor of magazine/journal hybrid Solutions and the managing editor and a co-editor-in-chief of the academic journal Reviews in Ecological Economics. She is also a co-founder and former-managing editor of the Encyclopedia of Earth.
Sharon Bessell is the Director of the Children’s Policy Centre at Crawford School, and Editor of Policy Forum’s Poverty: In Focus section.
Our presenters for this week’s podcast are:
Bob Cotton is a Visiting Fellow at Crawford School. He has a strong interest in public policy issues, including Australia’s engagement in the Asia Pacific Region. He is a mentor at the National Security College.
Julia Ahrens is a Communications and Engagement Coordinator at Crawford School and a presenter for Policy Forum Pod. She is also an Associate Researcher at the European Institute for Asian Studies in Brussels.
Martyn Pearce is a presenter for Policy Forum Pod and the Editor of Policy Forum.
Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:
Australia’s upcoming federal elections
Timeline of George Pell’s offences
Final report from Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
Kenneth Hayne’s banking royal commission report
Survey revealing abuse against principal’s
Background paper from royal commission into aged care
Oxfam’s report released in January 2019
Panama and paradise papers on tax avoidance
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
The policy and politics of refugees and asylum seekers
On Policy Forum Pod this week, we talk about refugees and asylum seekers policy – both in a global context and in Australia – while also discussing the extreme politicisation of these issues and the consequences that this has brought.
From the scale of the global refugee challenge to whether Australia has got its refugee policy settings right, this week, we take a look at refugee and asylum seeker policies. The panel tackle offshore processing, the politicisation of refugees, the recent medivac bill, and how all these issues might play out in Australia’s upcoming federal election.
Our presenters Sharon Bessell and Martyn Pearce, also take a look at government accountability, as well as social welfare schemes that may have been doing more harm than good. They also take a look at some of your questions and comments.
This week’s panel consists of:
Bina D’Costa is Senior Fellow/Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations in the Coral Bell School. She is also the school’s Deputy Director of Education. Bina’s research interests span migration and forced displacement; children and global protection systems; gender-based violence in conflicts; and human rights and impunity.
Marianne Dickie is a Senior Academic in Migration Law with the ANU College of Law and an Immigration Case Worker for Senator Larissa Waters. As an academic, she regularly contributes to Senate inquiries, law reviews and public commentary. Prior to working at the ANU Marianne was the immigration advisor for the Australian Democrats.
Mark Kenny is a Senior Fellow in the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the university after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times.
Our presenters for this week’s podcast are:
Sharon Bessell is the Director of the Children’s Policy Centre at Crawford School, and Editor of Policy Forum’s Poverty: In Focus section.
Martyn Pearce is a presenter for Policy Forum Pod and the Editor of Policy Forum.
Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:
Crawford School of Public Policy courses
Multimillion-dollar contract between Paladin Security and Department of Home Affairs
Billion-dollar empire made of mobile homes
Centrelink payments cut for jobactive participants
Government dole scheme for Indigenous communities
Poverty in Britain and Philip Alston’s findings
Joe Hockey’s comment on ‘lifters and leaners’
Refugee Council of Australia’s submission on inquiry into treatment of asylum seekers and refugees
More information on medevac bill
Global Social Policy course...
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
Podcast: A social insecurity system
Why do so many welfare systems end up punishing people rather than helping them, or doing more harm than good? How do these policies affect the lives of those who depend on welfare services? And what can policymakers do to remedy the situation - could a universal basic income help? Our guests John Falzon, Bob Gregory, and Sue Olney explore these questions and more.
Our presenters Sharon Bessell and Martyn Pearce also talk about the Australian Labor Party’s recent election promises on making abortion safe for the country’s women, as well as taking a look at a few of the comments and questions you have left us over the last week.
This week’s panel consists of:
John Falzon is Senior Fellow, Inequality and Social Justice at Per Capita. He is also a sociologist, poet, and social justice advocate, and was national CEO of the St Vincent de Paul Society from 2006 to 2018. John's current work focuses on social security reform, housing and homelessness, workers’ rights, and rebuilding the concept of the common good across society.
Bob Gregory is Emeritus Professor in the Research School of Economics at the Australian National University (ANU) and a former member of the Reserve Bank of Australia Board. His research has focused on economic development and growth, comparative economy systems, and welfare economics. He has a particular interest in wage inequality, international comparison of wages and employment, and unemployment.
Sue Olney is a Research Fellow in the Public Service Research Group in the School of Business at UNSW Canberra. Her work revolves around access and equity in employment, education, training, and disability services in Australia with particular focus on the impact of reform of public services on citizens with complex needs. Sue has experience on both sides of the process of outsourcing public services.
Our presenters for this week’s podcast are:
Sharon Bessell is the Director of the Children’s Policy Centre at Crawford School, and Editor of *Policy Forum’*s Poverty: In Focus section.
Martyn Pearce is a presenter for Policy Forum Pod and the Editor of Policy Forum
Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:
Tanya Plibersek’s election promise on behalf of Labor to provide free abortions
Controversy around Australia’s same-sex marriage plebiscite
Australia’s Department of the Senate’s report on Jobactive
Australian Council of Social Service’s ‘Faces of Unemployment’ report
UN rapporteur Philip Alston’s comment on UK’s universal credit scheme
Australian Department of Social Services’ Review of Australia’s Welfare System
Joe Hockey’s comment on ‘lifters and leaners’
Podcast: Back to basics – Finland’s Universal Basic...
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/policy-forum-pod-292273/is-every-billionaire-a-policy-failure-38259668"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to is every billionaire a policy failure? on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy