LUMEN Summer 2020 - Flipbook - Page 19
strong case for spending on government services:
mental health, aged care, and childcare should be
top of the list.”
Danielle also says governments need to think
creatively about how to rebuild demand in
hard-hit sectors like hospitality and tourism,
and “government-backed voucher and discount
schemes are a good place to start”.
“The Northern Territory and Tasmania have
launched time-limited vouchers for spending on
local tourism. The UK’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’
scheme, which provides government-funded
discounts for dining on Monday-Wednesday
nights, increased restaurant spending by a third.
I would love to see something similar done in
Australia,” Danielle said.
“How quickly we recover
from this economic shock
will depend on keeping the
health situation under
control and the government’s
appetite for policies that will
help rebuild consumer and
business confidence.”
Despite the challenges that 2020 has already
thrown at the community, Danielle remains
optimistic about the future. She hopes when
Australia comes out the other side of the
pandemic, we will rebuild the economy quickly
to avoid a lot of people being out of work for
significant periods. She is looking forward to
continuing to build on her role as CEO of the
Grattan Institute and will help the government
rebuild the economy.
“This crisis is an opportunity to understand
the economy. As awful as it is, it is also an
opportunity to be talking to students about
financial problems, encouraging students to
learn more about economics and be attracting
the smartest minds to help solve future financial
issues,” said Danielle.
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Danielle Wood
LEFT
Danielle Wood
with her daughter,
Eloise
ALUMNI MAGAZINE - SUMMER 2020
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