Jonathan Boston tackles one of the most urgent questions in contemporary New Zealand: how should we transform the welfare state?

Not only do we need to alleviate our current serious social problems, but we also need to meet the challenges of the future in a way that enhances intergenerational fairness and wellbeing. The answer, Boston argues, lies in a comprehensive package of reforms covering the benefit system, family assistance, child support, housing, and health care.

BWB Texts are short books on big subjects by great New Zealand writers. Spanning contemporary issues, history and memoir, new BWB Texts are released regularly, and the series now amounts to well over fifty works.