SENATOR JENNY MCALLISTER
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
SENATOR FOR NEW SOUTH WALES
 
SENATE PASSES BILL TO PUT INEQUALITY ON PRODUCTIVITY
COMMISSION AGENDA
 

The Senate has passed a private senator’s bill that requires the Productivity Commission to consider inequality in its work.

Introduced by Senator Jenny McAllister, the bill directs the Productivity Commission to regularly report on how we are tracking as a nation in improving equality and social mobility.

One of the main challenges facing our society today is inequality and poverty.

“Despite 27 years of uninterrupted growth, the poverty rate has not decreased. This is a key challenge for our generation,” Senator McAllister said.

“Understanding the problem is vital to knowing how best to respond. Obtaining this analysis should be a priority for Government.”

Senator McAllister said that if we want to make a real difference to the lives of those affected by poverty, inequality needs to be a regular conversation for Australia.

The first step is retooling our institutions to recognise and respond to disparities in wealth and income between Australians. 

The Bill would add inequality to the list of issues the Productivity Commission must have regard to in undertaking its work. It would also require the Commission to produce an Inequality Report every five years, aligned with the Intergenerational Report, which would assess:
 

• the effects of economic inequality on intergenerational mobility and access to opportunity;
• economic inequality in Australia’s regions and cities, and its impact on both individuals and the performance of the Australian economy;
• the extent to which current Government policies affect economic inequality.

 
MONDAY, 12 NOVEMBER 2018

MEDIA CONTACT: NATHAN ROBERTSON 0423 874 662