Brisbane meeting for 'Reworking Australia'

Brisbane meeting for 'Reworking Australia'

By Bill Mason

BRISBANE — "Economic rationalism in practice has proved irrational. It has produced injustice, poverty and unemployment", Professor Frank Stilwell, from the Sydney University Economics Department, told a meeting of 150 people at the Town Hall here on September 1.

The meeting was organised by the group Reworking Australia.

"Basically, economic rationalism is a faith in the free market to resolve our problems."

Stilwell criticised this "faith" on three grounds: it is theoretically faulty; it subordinates social justice to economic efficiency; and it has not worked in improving the Australian economy.

He slammed the economic rationalist policies of both Labor and Liberal parties, and called for new policies, including a leading role for the public sector; an end to privatisation; an interventionist industry policy, involving an end to tariff reductions, and government action, together with unions, to create environmentally friendly jobs; progressive tax reform; and guaranteed minimum incomes for all.

Other speakers included community development worker Sr Rosemary Grundy, Anglican Bishop Rt Rev Ron Williams and Professor Ian Lowe, Griffith University Science Department.

A Brisbane branch of the national organisation Reworking Australia is to be established this month.

From GLW issue 159