Productivity Roundtable: skimming the surface, ignoring unpaid productivity like caring, and reinforcing systemic inequality

Jennifer and Jacques discuss the federal government's recent Economic Reform Roundtable, commonly known as the 'productivity roundtable'.They discuss where it went wrong - though a good idea in principle, including assumptions that cutting costs for big business (e.g. via lower tax and regulation) will necessarily lead to higher productivity and not just bigger profits.The hosts unpick the notion of productivity itself, as measured by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which gives no or little value to most caring work and upaid environment protection.Finally they criticise the centrist push of our political leaders to do nothing meaningful.ReferencesRichard Denniss (2025) Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us Australia Institute - Vantage Point Emma Holten (2025) Deficit: how feminist economics can change our world London: WH Allen - Penguin/Random