Inside Story

National affairs Welfare myths and the luck of life Andrew Leigh 28 May 2015 There’s no such thing as “us” and “them,” writes Andrew Leigh. A good social safety net is there for all of us International New Zealand’s conservatives take on disadvantage Tim Colebatch 25 May 2015 The NZ government sees economic as well as social benefits in breaking cycles of poverty and imprisonment. Although the policy has its critics, it’s worth watching, writes… Books & arts An ethical tightrope across Struggle Street Jane Goodall 8 May 2015 Television | “Poverty porn” it isn’t, but the aims of Struggle Street still worry Jane Goodall National affairs School equity: from bad to worse Chris Bonnor & Bernie Shepherd 22 October 2014 Gonski got it right, and in the years since he reported his findings have become more relevant than ever, write Chris Bonnor and Bernie Shepherd

National affairs Is Australia’s welfare system unsustainable? Peter Whiteford 10 February 2014 Figures from the past two decades challenge the view that the welfare budget is out of control, writes Peter Whiteford, and help us understand the likely impact of future… A “true progressive” takes on New York’s inequality problem Peter Mares 23 December 2013 After serving a maximum three terms as mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg will be replaced by Democrat Bill de Blasio on New Year’s Day. As Peter Mares reports… Essays & reportage Poverty in a time of prosperity Peter Whiteford 15 September 2013 Measured by income, most Australians have never had it so good. But some groups are falling dramatically behind. Peter Whiteford warns of the dangers of residualising the poor Books & arts An American story told through Americans’ stories Lesley Russell 11 September 2013 Lesley Russell reviews a sweeping account of the United States in the twenty-first century by New Yorker writer George Packer

Essays & reportage Executive fortunes Raewyn Connell 21 February 2013 We need to drop the idea that executive pay is some kind of “wage” that can be explained as an exchange on a labour market, writes Raewyn Connell National affairs Unfair, inefficient and expensive: what went wrong with Australia’s superannuation system Mike Steketee 18 February 2013 The same ministers who scour every nook and cranny to find savings are throwing money at superannuation tax concessions with dubious benefits, writes Mike Steketee National affairs Latham’s list was a hit in the polls Peter Browne 27 August 2012 Mark Latham’s school funding policy was seen as an electoral minus for Labor. The polls disagree National affairs Social welfare and class warfare: the give and take of budget balancing Peter Whiteford 10 May 2012 Peter Whiteford looks at the equity impact of the federal budget – and finds that the Rudd–Gillard government has done far more for less well-off pensioners…