ABSTRACT
Two rather contrasting views exist regarding the Hawke/Keating Labor Party governments of 1983 to 1996. On the one hand, they are often described as neoliberal regimes which favoured free market solutions over government intervention, and hence contributed to greater inequality. On the other hand, they are noted as having targeted higher and more adequate income security payments to key disadvantaged groups such as low-income families with children, and therefore credited with facilitating socially just outcomes (Gibson 1990).
