It’s a fact. The way our governments raise and spend money benefits older, richer people, and disadvantages younger people who are trying to build wealth. If we’re going to hold society together - and keep liberal democracy robust - we need massive economic reform. But what does that mean?

Allegra Spender is one of Australia’s most popular members of parliament. She belongs to no political party, although her centre-right group of independents, unofficially called the “Teals”, helped to sweep the conservative government from power in 2022. As a former corporate executive and management consultant, Spender recently joined a major economic reform roundtable to advise the government about radically increasing productivity. Spender emerged with controversial ideas about how to make life better for those starting out… and, in so doing, how to shore up democracy for everyone.