Long before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the global economy, a reset to serve the wellbeing of people and the planet was plainly needed. As Australia rebuilds, after the immediate health crisis has passed, it must be with the explicit purpose of constructing an economically and ecologically sustainable world. After the Great Depression and the Second World War, economic thinking was transformed across the Anglosphere, with a determination to create a more equitable society and support every child, regardless of background, to achieve their full potential. Australia’s leaders reshaped our economy through a determined and coordinated program of post-war reconstruction. Their reforms set us up for decades of prosperity and the creation of perhaps the most prosperous and stable society on earth. With contributions from some of Australia’s most respected academics and leading thinkers, What Happens Next? sets out a progressive, reforming agenda to tackle the twin crises of climate change and inequality. It provides a framework through which our collective effort can be devoted to improving the lives of all Australians, and the sustainability of the world in which we live.

Contributors include: Emma Dawson; Professor Janet McCalman AC FASSA; The Hon. Anthony Albanese MP; Thomas Mayor; Dr Liz Allen; Professor Clinton Fernandes; Dr Shireen Morris; Osmond Chiu; Michele O’Neil; Professor Fiona Stanley AC FAA FASSA; Professor Mike Daube AO; and Dr Jim Chalmers.