The Monash Years

This chapter looks at Colin Clark’s return to Australia and his subsequent appointments at Monash University, the Institute for Economic Progress and The University of Queensland. It was abbreviated by a brief foray in London working for a libertarian think-tank. In October 1969, Clark took up a position at Monash University. The Catholic Church in Melbourne funded a research institute for him to pursue his interests in population and economic development. He also resumed his controversial media profile writing about economic and political issues including inflation, environmentalism, urban issues, decentralisation, population and world hunger. He engaged in public debate with leading feminist, Germaine Greer on abortion and with the controversial biochemist, Paul Ehrlich on zero population growth. With inflation stirring, Clark linked it with high-taxing, high-spending governments. The solution, he argued, was to suppress the level of public spending followed by a reduction in taxation to restore private demand. In 1976 Clark spent time in London with the Centre for Policy Studies set up to broadcast of neoliberal ideas. He continued his work on welfare reform including the possible introduction of negative taxation. However, the Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher, steered clear of his radical reforms to welfare and a disheartened Clark returned to Australia.