June Luncheon
Introduction
We like to think that Australia is an unusually egalitarian country, with a commitment to a “fair go” for all. Yet the policy makers we have endorsed through election have, over time, taken decisions that have led to increasing inequality – especially impacting those already most disadvantaged. Taking a problem of current public concern as a case study – the unfairness of intergenerational inequity in access to housing – this address will explore previous policy history to identify why this has happened, and previous initiatives that provide lessons in producing fairer outcomes.
About the presenter
James Walter, a University of Melbourne graduate, is Emeritus Professor (Politics) at Monash University, Emeritus Professor (Australian Studies) at Griffith University, a former director of the Menzies Centre at the University of London and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. He is also currently President of U3A Port Phillip. He has published widely on Australian politics, leadership, biography, political history, political ideas and public policy. His new book, with Carolyn Holbrook, Australia Fair? Democracy, bureaucracy and the making of modern Australia, (Melbourne University Press) will be published on July 14, 2026.