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Evatt Journal Vol. 19

Vol. 19, No. 1

After the lockdown: essays on a post-covid world

In a few short months, the Coronavirus and the efforts to control it have transformed the world. From the way we work and socialise, to ideas about debt and the role of government in the economy, orthodoxies have been upended and the unthinkable has become the norm.

In this special edition of the Evatt Journal, we consider the consequences of the pandemic for progressive politics and the policy responses to a post-COVID world.

Our contributors address the economic policy responses, the jobs crisis, climate change, democracy and justice, multilateral cooperation, the creative industries, payday lending and the future of the city.

Australia’s jobs and insecure work crisis

President of the ACTU, Michele O’Neil, writes that the Coronavirus crisis has exposed the insecurity in the Australian labour market and argues that what is needed now is an ambitious, aggressive, government-led effort to rebuild the economy and put Australians back to work in secure jobs. More

Thinking clearly about “debt and deficits”

Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, writes that the “debt and deficit” of the past decade has been misleading and destructive and post-COVID should be replaced with a fiscal philosophy that emphasises using fiscal force aggressively, but prudently. More

Carving with the grain

Andrew Leigh, Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury and Charities, writes that the pandemic has demonstrated the importance of the egalitarianism at the heart of the progressive project, but that progressives need to think anew about how to couch the problem and craft the solutions. More

Time for a Green New Deal?

Frank Stilwell, Emeritus Professor of Political Economy, argues that the post-COVID moment is ripe for a political program offering jobs, greater economic security, a more equitable society and real action on climate change. More

Coronavirus and parliamentary democracy

President of the Evatt Foundation, Rose Jackson MLC, writes that now is not the time to jettison the traditions of parliamentary democracy but rather the moment we need them most. More

An opportunity for progressive law reform

Barrister Stephen Lawrence argues that we cannot miss the opportunity the Coronavirus provides for advancing a progressive law reform agenda. More

Upholding human rights, defending multilateralism and promoting global solidarity: reasons for supporting the World Health Organisation post-COVID

Elly Howse, Research Fellow with the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, and Adrian Bauman, Emeritus Professor of Public Health, write about the critical importance of the World Health Organisation in the current moment and why Australia should continue to support it, through and beyond the next global health emergency. More

“Creative imagination” or “Quiet Australians”?

Esther Anatolitis, Executive Director of the National Association for the Visual Arts, writes that the creative imagination of artists and artsworkers are fundamental to good governance and for powering economic growth. More

Does COVID-19 spell the death of the city?

Eamon Waterford, who works in cities policy, writes that while the Coronavirus is forcing cities to change, whether we emerge from the crisis as a more equitable and green community will depend on how we respond. More

Expelling the moneylenders after lockdown

Evan Hughes, researcher for the Senate Inquiry into credit and financial services targeted at Australians at risk of financial hardship, writes about the need to protect Australians experiencing financial hardship during the pandemic from the further risks of high fee and interest small loans. More

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