Politics with Michelle Grattan
News:Politics
In his budget reply, Anthony Albanese said women have suffered most during the pandemic, but were reduced to a footnote in the budget. He promised a Labor government would undertake a generous reshaping of the childcare subsidy to enable more women to join the workforce or to work more hours.
This week, Michelle Grattan talks to Grattan Institute CEO Danielle Wood who, in writing for the Australian Financial Review, described the budget as “blokey”:
“We look at those areas that have received direct support - construction… the energy sector, defence, manufacturing, all of those areas where the government has put direct money into a particular sector - they tend to be male dominated sectors.
"And actually often they’re not the ones that have taken the hardest hit in this recession.
"The sectors that have been hit really hard: hospitality, tourism, the arts, recreation, administrative services tend to be actually slightly more female dominated… we really don’t see any direct assistance for those sectors in the budget. ”
When asked about the budget generally Wood, the president of the Economic Society of Australia, is concerned all the eggs have been put into the “private sector basket”.
“If it doesn’t pay off, then we may see unemployment sticking around for a long time to come.”
In the Grattan institute’s report, co-authored by Wood, and titled Cheaper Childcare, Wood endorsed reform in a similar vein to Albanese’s proposal.
“Our numbers suggest that for every dollar that you spend reforming the subsidy…you return more than two dollars in additional GDP,” she says.
“The Labor reforms… you’re probably talking, if its $2 billion a year… something in the vicinity of $5 billion return each year for GDP.”
Arthur Sinodinos with some reflections and advice
Jim Chalmers on the need to change economic course
Independent MP Helen Haines on using 'soft power'
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on a slowing economy
PM’s advisor Christine Morgan on tackling Australia’s rising suicide rates
On the ‘creeping crisis’ in the public service
Anthony Albanese on Labor's hard times
Paul Oosting responds to GetUp's critics
Centre Alliance’s Stirling Griff on Newstart
Megan Davis on a First Nations Voice in the Constitution
Minister Ken Wyatt on constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians
Frank Brennan on Israel Folau and religious freedom
ACTU president Michele O'Neil on John Setka and the government’s anti-union legislation
Corrected version: Richard Eccleston on the electoral mood in Tasmania
Tim Colebatch on the battle in Victoria - and the Senate
William Bowe on the state of election play in WA
Andrew Hughes on political advertising - and Clive Palmer
Caroline Fisher on the spin machines of #AusVotes19
Jim Chalmers on Labor’s budget reaction
Peter Martin and Tim Colebatch on budget strategy and numbers
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