inequality as a major threat to the global economy. In an election year,

US president Obama is also heeding the loud protests about the gap

between the haves and have-nots. And the issue is growing in Australia

where the rich are definitely getting richer, in part due to the mining

boom. Other reasons include the decline in manufacturing, increasing

numbers of single parent and solo households, labour market changes, and

uneven redistribution through taxes and benefits. Peter Whiteford,

director of the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New

South Wales, urges policymakers to shift focus from income growth to

inequality.