Mark Latham's third way: income support, civic renewal and collectivism

Abstract

The core aim of Mark Latham’s Third Way-style policy proposals is to promote the revivification of civil society as part of the renewed pursuit of the common good. I critically examine this core aim with reference to Mark Latham’s proposed changes to income support. I claim that Latham's tendency to focus on disadvantaged communities as sites of normative dysfunction only reinforces the traditional conceptual division between deserving employed citizens and undeserving income recipients. It also neglects the real difficulties experienced by mainstream communities, such as the growing time deficit in working households. I conclude that Latham misses a real opportunity to re-legitimise collective provision and revive the social sphere using a universal rather than a residual policy perspective that shows concern for the well-being of all Australian citizens.