In this advanced discussion using the MMT lens, Dr James Juniper focuses on resolving what appears to be a dichotomy between notions of Steady-State or Degrowth, on one hand, and the pursuit of full employment by advocates of MMT, on the other hand.

Dr Juniper has worked for the Bureau of Industry Economics, SA Department of State Development and Technology, SA Department of Industry, Trade and Technology and United Trades and Labor Council (SA) and is a Conjoint Lecturer at the University of Newcastle Business School.

Dr. Victor Quirk discusses the history of full employment and the ‘Right to Work’ (as outlined in Article 23.1 of the UN ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’) both in Australia and across the world.

What follows is a discussion on how the ‘Job Guarantee’ (JG), as outlined in the Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) framework, can satisfy that human right, what the implementation challenges of the JG are and how might they be addressed in the Australian context.

Dr. Victor Quirk is a labour market political sociologist, university lecturer and research associate at the ‘Centre of Full Employment and Equity’ (CofFEE) with a background in community sector management and specialist employment counselling.

Dr Juniper, an Associate of the Centre of Full Employment and Equity and conjoint lecturer of the University of Newcastle discussing the real world effects of our successive governments’ obsession with achieving budget surpluses. From the GFC, to the current climate emergency, showing the impact of the ‘deficits are bad/surpluses are good’ narrative, which underpins the prevailing, neoliberal, mainstream economic thinking.

Dr Martin Watts is an Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of Newcastle and is a research associate at the Centre of Full Employment and Equity (CofFEE). He previously spent 16 years as a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer at Monash University and has published 16 book chapters and over 60 refereed journal articles, of which 30 are in international refereed journals.