Over the past 30 years, Australia has experimented with using markets to provide human services. After much trial and error, there are still fundamental questions to be answered about whether a market model can genuinely deliver improved personal outcomes for people, especially those who experience poverty, disadvantage and hardship. At the same time, the search for alternative service models is intensifying along with community expectations of improved services.

ACOSS invites you to a webinar with renowned political scientist and University of Melbourne Professor Mark Considine, author of The Careless State: Reforming Australia’s Social Services. Mark has studied and written extensively on public sector reform and service design models, and will be speaking about the findings of his research on the impact of market models on Australian society, their impact on the quality of care on offer, and options for reform.