17 Jul, 2013
Ross Gittins on why Australians are losing their egalitarianism – Sydney Morning Herald
I was chastened years ago on an industrial relations junket as a guest of the German government. The Aussies in the group went out to see the sights one night in Munich. When, eventually, we decided to go back to the hotel we realised one of the group was missing.
I said I thought he was old enough and ugly enough to look after himself but an old union secretary demurred. ”You blokes go back to the pub,” he said quietly. ”I’ll have a look round for him. You never leave your mates behind.”
You might think this egalitarianism would be reflected in a reasonably equal distribution of income between Australian households but that’s far from the case. As the economics professor turned Labor politician Andrew Leigh reminds us in his most readable new book, Battlers and Billionaires, the latest figures show us having the ninth highest level of inequality among 34 rich countries.
It’s probably not terribly well understood that, between Federation and the late 1970s, the gap between the highest and lowest incomes narrowed steadily, whereas since then, it has widened significantly.
Read the rest: Ross Gittins on egalitarianism and why we are losing it.
Loading ...
Liked this article? Share it!