Is Australia too generous to the rich? The case for tighter means-testing

Why has means-testing fallen out of favour in Australian public policymaking? The idea of means-testing is to direct government support to those who need it most. Increasingly however, governments are opting for universal spending programs - from energy rebates and EV concessions, to subsidies in childcare and aged care. Professor Robert Breunig asks why, and makes the case for tighter means-testing. Guest: Professor Robert Bruenig, director of the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute at the Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU Producer: Jack Schmidt Related reading: Home Truths: The case for rebalancing toward better means testing , Policy Institute Australia (June 2026)