Policy Forum Pod

In this episode, Professor Susan Sell talks about 21st century capitalism and how it undermines health outcomes, social goals and equity. She discusses the connection between the market, our work and our health, particularly for those with precarious working conditions where we see the market’s direct impact on physical and mental wellbeing. Professor Sell explains the phenomenon of ‘failure demand,’ growing demand for services we shouldn’t need, particularly if we were to value caring for people and place in society. A key concern raised by Professor Sell is corporate tax avoidance and profiteering. She highlights how clear this has become, giving examples from the COVID-19 pandemic when major corporations gained record profits from government stimulus in the economy. Companies now focus on making more money for shareholders rather than the betterment of society. ----Professor Susan Sell is based at the School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) at the Australian National University. She has previou