COTA Australia welcomes the broad discussion emerging in Australia about an inclusive approach to Full Employment. Addressing structural inequalities and ensuring every Australian can contribute to the full will make Australia wealthier, both economically and culturally.
Barriers to economic participation, especially in employment cause great harm both to the excluded, but also everyone else missing out on their contribution. Discrimination, both structural and situational, should be urgently addressed. Discrimination in our economy should be addressed, not only as a social justice initiative, but as an economic tool alongside the more traditional economic levers available to Government.
COTA Australia welcomes the idea that, in seeking to achieve Full Employment, Government proposals will not be limited those strictly employment-related (such as wage setting principles) but will also consider the interplay between contextual factors that affect employment and wages as a second, or even third-order effect.
