Climbing the COVID mountain in 10 steps

When Covid19 restrictions first changed the livelihood of Australians, it became obvious that our nation needed a plan to lead us into a new world.

I invited my friend, Stephen Koukoulas, an eminent economist, whom many of you will follow on Twitter as @TheKouk, to join me in preparing one.

Here it is for your critical analysis.

The Opportunity

Covid19 has opened a door for Australians to positively accept significant changes that will lead to a shared good. This 'once in a lifetime' revolution enables us to achieve sustainable economic and social goals that create a new 'normal' as our way of life.

These Ten Steps are presented as non-partisan recommendations to the Australian Parliament in the firm belief that, if they embrace them, the Australian economy and society will be greatly enhanced after the Covid19 pandemic has passed.

1. A job for you if you want one.

A significant increase in part time and casual employment can be created that will enable you to enjoy a more creative and peaceful lifestyle and to live longer and better. The traditional age at which you would have been expected to retire will become obsolete as a result. An access age for pension and superannuation will become your choice. This will enable you to remain in paid work for as long as you want to, on a basis that you choose, while boosting the productivity and growth of Australia.

2. You will get wage increases that will be greater than your cost of living.

A demand for enhanced innovative skills at all levels of employment will be created as the economy grows in strength, thereby enhancing your stature in the workforce and enabling executive salaries and bonuses to drop to levels that are accepted as justifiable by employees, shareholders and customers.

3. Your education and lifestyle will be enhanced by ever improving science and technology.

Universities will become powerhouses of research and have a TAFE on the campus that becomes a powerhouse of skills. This combined activity will make your community more healthy, wealthy and socially cohesive as highly skilled workers, backed by ground-breaking research, lead us to have higher incomes and a more prosperous nation.