The Revival of Social Justice

Abstract

The Marg Barry Memorial Lecture celebrates the contribution of a woman for whom social justice was integral and essential to good social arrangements. Social Justice disappeared almost entirely from Australian public life and discourse between 1995 and 2007. This also marked an increase in income inequality, and increased disadvantage and exclusion for those experiencing multiple difficulties in their lives. Not only is this morally repugnant but this growing inequality meant worse social and health outcomes for everyone. Evidence has been accumulating that societies with institutional social justice arrangements do better for everyone, including the wealthy, than those rewarding the growth in the gap between rich and poor. Although the Rudd government once again embraced the notion of fairness in the form of social inclusion, the revival of social justice, that is ensuring systemic and structural social arrangements to improve equality, as a core political and social value, should be a goal for us all.