{
  "id": 11752873,
  "title": "Australia’s wealth gap is growing and so is the anger over it. How do we fix this absolutely hopeless state of affairs? | Zoe Daniel",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/australias-wealth-gap-is-growing-and-so-is-the-anger-over-it-how-do",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-03T19:00:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian Australia",
    "slug": "the-guardian-australia",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/04/australia-government-cost-of-living-wealth-gap"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Australia is experiencing a growing wealth gap and rising anger among its people. Factors contributing to this frustration include uncontrollable prices, climate change, big tech, crime, and government inefficiency. As Christmas approaches, the cost of living continues to soar, making holidays an exercise in risk management for many Australians.\n\nThe tech industry wields excessive power, with AI threatening jobs and potentially our existence, while misinformation spreads through manipulative algorithms. Meanwhile, the wealth gap is widening, and anger over it is particularly pronounced among younger generations. People are experiencing increased crime rates, physical assaults, and domestic violence due to the overwhelming pressure they face.\n\nThe government's domestic political environment is uninspiring, leaning towards a more Trumpian approach. State governments are failing to fix basic infrastructure, like potholes, leaving citizens feeling helpless and angry. Mental health issues, gambling harm, and domestic violence are on the rise, all of which are chronically under-prioritized in terms of prevention and response.\n\nTo address these problems, the government should stop viewing the issue as purely political. They need to acknowledge the necessity of more aggressive spending and focus on improving the lives of citizens. Instead of treating it as a political problem, they should address the root causes of this \"absolutely hopeless state of affairs.\"\n\nFirst, the government should stop treating cost-of-living pressures as a political problem. They should be more aggressive in spending to make a tangible difference in people's lives. Secondly, they should recognize that relatively well-off economists and policy makers are not the ones who have lost out from decades of deregulation. This has caused a drift to extreme political ideologies, such as One Nation in Australia and Donald Trump in the United States. These communities have experienced job losses, worsening prospects, and a loss of control and hope.\n\nUltimately, the government's main responsibility is to deliver wellbeing, safety, security, good health, education, and an economy in which everyone can thrive. They should also protect our sovereignty from nefarious actors manipulating public sentiment. Currently, they are giving away resources without providing adequate support and enabling for their own people. Australia is a nation of extraordinary beauty, yet they fail to ensure everyone can enjoy it, allowing it to erode.\n\nTo make a difference, the government should start by implementing a windfall tax on export gas, properly taxing and enforcing regulations on big fossil fuels, gambling, and tech companies. They should then use the proceeds to reduce the cost of childcare, tertiary education, medicines, and rent via Commonwealth rent assistance. These measures would help reduce cost-of-living pressures and inflation, ultimately improving the lives of Australian citizens.",
  "summary": "Prices beyond our control, climate change, big tech, crime, the government itself. It’s no wonder people are so furious Get our new political email , free app or daily news podcast Who’s feeling overwhelmed? Going to the supermarket and petrol station was already stressful. Now interest rates have gone up, with another increase predicted, and Christmas is coming. Continue reading...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian Australia",
        "title": "Whales on Australia’s ‘humpback highway’ are at growing risk of injury from boat and propellor strikes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/whales-on-australias-humpback-highway-are-at-growing-risk-of-injury",
        "published": "2026-10-03T19:00:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}