Liam Byrne

The super-rich have never had it so good. But millions of us can't afford a home, an education or a pension. And unless we change course soon, the future will be even worse. Much worse. But things don't have to be like this. In this bold new book, former Treasury Minister Liam Byrne explains why wealth inequality has grown so fast in recent years; warns how it threatens our society, economy and politics; shows where economics has got it wrong – and lays out a path back to common sense, with five practical ways to rebuild an old ideal: the wealth-owning democracy. Liam Byrne draws on conversations and debates with former prime ministers, presidents and policymakers around the world, together with experts at the OECD, World Bank and IMF, to argue that after twenty years of statistics and slogans it's time for solutions that aren't just radical but plausible and achievable as well. The future won't be a land of milk and honey but it could be a place where we live longer, happier, healthier and wealthier lives.

Why it Matters and How to Fix it

The Inequality of Wealth

BECOMING JOHN CURTIN AND JAMES SCULLIN;THEIR EARLY POLITICAL CAREERS AND THE MAKING OF THE MODERN LABOR PARTY

Before becoming the prime ministers who led Australia in moments of extraordinary crisis and transformation, John Curtin and James Scullin were two young working-class men who dreamt of changing their country for the better. Becoming John Curtin and James Scullin tells the tale of their intertwined early lives as both men became labour intellectuals and powerbrokers at the beginning of the twentieth century. It reveals the underappreciated role each man played in the events that defined the modern Australian Labor Party: its first experience of national government, the turmoil of war, the great conscription clash and party split of 1916, and the heated debates over the party's socialist objective. Becoming John Curtin and James Scullin shows how they became the leaders that history knows best by painting a portrait of two young men struggling to establish their identities and find their place in the world. It tells of their great friendships, loves and passions, and reminds us that these were real men, with real weaknesses, desires and dreams. It explains how their early political careers set the scene for their later prime ministerships as they honed the techniques of power that led them to the summit of Australian politics. This is the story of two young men striving to better the world they had inherited, a story of optimism and hope with enduring relevance for today's troubled politics.

Their Early Political Careers and the Making of the Modern Labor Party

Becoming John Curtin and James Scullin

Douglas Newton

Carolyn Holbrook

Anne Beggs-Sunter

Chris McConville

Phil Roberts

Julie Kimber

Phillip Deery

Karen Agutter

Robert Bollard

Verity Burgmann

Lachlan Clohesy

Rhys Cooper

Nick Irving

Bobbie Oliver

Carolyn Rasmussen

Kim Thoday

Throughout the twentieth century, labour movement activists have been in the forefront of challenges to war and militarism. With a particular emphasis on the First World War this book seeks to restore their role to our historical memory. Contributors include Karen Agutter, Anne Beggs-Sunter, Robert Bollard, Verity Burgmann, Liam Byrne, Lachlan Clohesy, Rhys Cooper, Carolyn Holbrook, Nick Irving, Chris McConville, Douglas Newton, Bobbie Oliver, Carolyn Rasmussen, Phil Roberts, and Kim Thoday.

Peace Activism in the Twentieth Century

Fighting Against War

Liam Byrne

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