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Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

Research

Australian Social Policy 2001-02 - Contents

Major articles

Book reviews

Meredith Edwards, with Cosmo Howard and Robin Miller Social policy, public policy: from problem to practice (Reviewer: Fiona Carberry)

Peter Sutherland with Allan Anforth, Social security and family assistance law (Reviewer: Michael Sassella)

Guidelines for contributors



Jay Martin, 'Fertility in Australia: can we afford to keep the Government out of the bedroom?'

This paper identifies immigration and fertility as important factors in determining the population futures open to Australia. It suggests that, immigration policies have undergone a marked shift with an emphasis now placed on attracting highly skilled young people with marketable skills and experience replacing those entering through family reunion categories, Despite this, similar changes to our approach to fertility —the other side of the population coin—have not yet eventuated.

The paper provides a general overview of current trends in fertility and some discussion of the significance of these trends in fertility, as well as outlining potential consequences of inaction. This is followed by discussion of suggested areas of policy response, specifically: family payments and income support policies, child care benefits and subsidies, 'family-friendly' workplace practices and the range of assistance provided to families in the form of services, such as parenting and relationship assistance.

Peter Saunders, 'What future for welfare?'

This article draws upon the two different debates about welfare that are currently taking place across the English-speaking countries.

The first debate is focused on transferring as many people as possible from welfare dependency into work. This debate has been given considerable impetus by radical reform in the American welfare system that has resulted in a reduction of welfare rolls by more than half. The second debate has been prompted by the financial problems facing a number of government-funded retirement pension schemes in western Europe and North America. The focus is now on encouraging more people to make private provision for their own retirement, and this has, in turn, stimulated a broader interest in compulsory savings, and what has been called 'asset-based welfare'.

The article concludes that, taken together, these debates about ending welfare dependency and extending asset accumulation constitute a newly emerging policy agenda that is taking us beyond traditional concerns with the socialised provision of services and the extension of the 'social rights' associated with twentieth century citizenship.

Habtemariam Tesfaghiorghis, 'Projections of the number of Income Support recipients: 2001–2051'

This paper is comprised of a set of income support projections aimed at providing a perception of the impact of demographic change on income support client numbers over the next five decades, 2001 to 2051. The projections will contribute to an understanding of likely trends in recipient numbers, which will assist governments to identify cost pressures and appropriately prioritise their efforts. This work was initially prepared as an input to the Technical and other appendices report prepared by the department for the Reference Group on Welfare Reform.

Briefly, the projections suggest:

Nicole Watson and Mark Wooden, 'The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey: an introduction'

This article provides an outline of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (or HILDA) survey methodology. Its main focus is on the key parameters that underpin the design of the survey and on the development of the survey instruments.

In 1999, the Commonwealth Government committed funds for the conduct of the first three waves of a major new longitudinal survey. The primary objective of the HILDA Survey is to support research questions falling within three broad and interrelated areas: