Learning from labor? Welfare policy transfer between Australia and Britain

Abstract

In the emergent literature of social policy transfer, very considerable attention has been directed to the processes of policy exchange between North America and the UK. This paper reports the findings of an investigation into the processes of policy transfer between Australia and the UK under the auspices of the Australian Labor Party in the early 1990s. Particular attention is given to the raft of policies promoting more active labour markets and the reform of student funding. Evidence is found of a real, though qualified impact of Australian policy-making mediated by the very different institutional contexts in Australia and Britain.