Government response
The Government has released its interim response to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into economic inclusion and social mobility A Fair Chance for All: Breaking the cycle of persistent disadvantage.
The Terms of Reference for the inquiry asked the Commission to focus on understanding the dynamics and drivers of persistent disadvantage and the impacts this has on different population groups and across generations.
Our final report for the inquiry was published on 20 June 2023, along with a supplementary report with our quantitative analysis released on 31 July 2023.
The response is supportive of the findings and recommendations made in our final report, noting that many of the recommendations align with existing work programmes, with others deserving of further investigation. The Commission is pleased to see the Government’s interest in pursuing particular recommendations, including, introducing new legislation (a Wellbeing of Future Generations Act), establishing a Commissioner for Future Generations, the establishment of a social floor that measures levels of both material and non-material wellbeing necessary for social inclusion and the Commission undertaking a follow-up inquiry in three years’ time.
Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson noted “the Commission’s considered approach to this challenging issue,” and to “continued, constructive engagements with Commission staff on this and future inquiry topics.”
The Commission is an independent research and advisory body that does not have a mandate to implement any policies or programmes. However, by carrying out high quality, innovative research and evidence-based inquiries, we aim to influence and inform policy change and decision making.