Campaigning for a fairer distribution of wealth, income and power: The story of the Victorian Coalition against Poverty and Unemployment (CAPU), 1980-1991

Research output: Contribution to specialist publicationArticleOther

Abstract

Australia has had high levels of unemployment since the mid-1970s.The Victorian Coalition against Poverty and Unemployment (CAPU) was an activist group established in the last years of Malcolm Fraser’s Coalition government. CAPU was a non-sectarian body which attempted to resist the neo-liberal consensus, and engage in research, education, publicity and a range of public activities to effect political change. Based on an alliance of trade unions, churches, community groups and the unemployed, CAPU was influenced by conventional Marxist critiques of the welfare state and was highly critical of both the professional social welfare sector and the Australian Labor Party. It also worked cooperatively on specific campaigns with key community welfare groups such as the Victorian Council of Social Service and the Brotherhood of St Laurence. CAPU was not an anti-welfare organisation, but rather acted as the radical arm of the welfare lobby seeking to shame governments into operationalising in practice their declared social justice principles.
Original languageEnglish
Pages18-20
Number of pages3
Volume1
No.1
Specialist publicationRadical Currents, Labour Histories
Publication statusPublished - 3 Dec 2022

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