Old problem, new label: Reconstructing the problem of welfare dependency in Australian social policy discourse

Governments are working on labelling for a variety of political reasons including the need to gain public support for a policy reform agenda. The Howard Government has re-labelled rising welfare expenditure levels in Australia by claiming it to be the result of welfare dependency amongst social security recipients, without providing any hard facts to verify, are successful in the sale of a new label and its accompanying disclosure of welfare reform to the Australian public.