• Peter Mares
• The National Interest, ABC Radio National

GO TO

04 April 2011How best to deal with the three Ps: productivity, population, participation? Productivity is about the efficiency of our economy; lifting productivity helps maintain international competitiveness and generate wealth. Population in this context refers in particular to Australia's changing demographics, as the baby boomers exit the workforce, reducing the proportion of the population who are in paid jobs. And Participation is about maximising the ability of all Australians to play a constructive role in society - to be valuable and to be valued - above all through meaningful work. These three Ps are inextricably linked. As the population ages we need to improve both productivity and participation to ensure that we can maintain our standard of living and pay for our future needs in health care and other areas. But not only that, the challenge of the three Ps is also a great opportunity. An opportunity to do things differently by engaging those who so often in the past have been shut out of the labour force by disadvantage or disability, or for other reasons. And that's where today's program begins. The 2011 ACOSS National Conference was held in Melbourne earlier this week, and it brought together a number of people to discuss the three Ps. The National Interest brings you the highlights of that discussion.

Guests

Jenny Macklin
Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

Andrew Robb
Shadow Minister for Finance, Deregulation and Debt Reduction

Ged Kearney
President, Australian Council of Trade Unions

Maria Tarrant
Acting CEO,
Business Council of Australia

Saul Eslake
Program Director, Productivity Growth
Grattan Institute