The Nordic Connection: The impact of the Finnish basic income pilot on the Australian basic income debate

Abstract

This article examines the impact of recent European basic income experiments on the re-emergence of basic income in Australian public policy and political debate. We argue that while basic income experiments in general have garnered some attention in Australia, the Finnish basic income pilot has been particularly significant. We trace this influence back to the historical tendency of sections of the Australian Left to view Nordic industrial and social policy as an aspirational model, and to the stronger institutional and interpersonal connections between Nordic and Australian policy communities. Finally, we emphasise how the recent history of imposing welfare policy experiments on Indigenous communities complicates the perception and prospects of basic income pilots in Australia and the potential for successful policy transfer.