What do you think?
Rate this book
The Nordic Edge: Policy Possibilities for Australia
How the Nordic approach can shape Australia's future for better
Climate and energy. Work/life balance. Mining taxes. Progress on policy issues like these is essential, and yet they have become subject to the most rancorous partisanship, the precipitation of culture wars, and have brought down governments. It is impossible to make any progress without major political upheaval. Or so it seems in Australia. Yet Nordic countries have taken a 'ja, we can' approach to these and other issues such as independent foreign policy, prison reform, gender equality, retraining for workforce participation and media diversity. Their experience shows that progress in these areas is not only possible, but can be achieved while increasing prosperity and community wellbeing. The Nordic Edge explores policies adopted by Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland and the exciting possibilities they provide to overcome Australia's seemingly intractable problems. Leading Australian and Nordic thinkers and policy practitioners, including Sweden's recent Foreign Minister, outline proven approaches to help Australia become a fairer, happier, wealthier and more environmentally responsible country. Re-enter Australia's policy debates with optimism, new ideas and a Nordic edge. Contributors include: Professor Andrew Scott; Rod Campbell; Dr Richard Denniss; Matt Grudnoff; Tom Swann; former Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström; Dr Lenita Freidenvall; Professor Marian Sawer; James Fleming; Richie Merzian; Dan Cass; Audrey Quicke; Ebony Bennett; Dr Maria Rae; and Associate Professor Anna Eriksson, with a foreword by Ben Oquist.
Climate and energy. Work/life balance. Mining taxes. Progress on policy issues like these is essential, and yet they have become subject to the most rancorous partisanship, the precipitation of culture wars, and have brought down governments. It is impossible to make any progress without major political upheaval. Or so it seems in Australia. Yet Nordic countries have taken a 'ja, we can' approach to these and other issues such as independent foreign policy, prison reform, gender equality, retraining for workforce participation and media diversity. Their experience shows that progress in these areas is not only possible, but can be achieved while increasing prosperity and community wellbeing. The Nordic Edge explores policies adopted by Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland and the exciting possibilities they provide to overcome Australia's seemingly intractable problems. Leading Australian and Nordic thinkers and policy practitioners, including Sweden's recent Foreign Minister, outline proven approaches to help Australia become a fairer, happier, wealthier and more environmentally responsible country. Re-enter Australia's policy debates with optimism, new ideas and a Nordic edge. Contributors include: Professor Andrew Scott; Rod Campbell; Dr Richard Denniss; Matt Grudnoff; Tom Swann; former Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström; Dr Lenita Freidenvall; Professor Marian Sawer; James Fleming; Richie Merzian; Dan Cass; Audrey Quicke; Ebony Bennett; Dr Maria Rae; and Associate Professor Anna Eriksson, with a foreword by Ben Oquist.
254 pages, Paperback
Published July 2, 2021
6 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Scott
7 books1 followerAndrew Scott teaches Australian politics, international comparative politics, economic policy, social policy, and political history at Deakin University, where he is Professor of Politics and Policy, and is the Inaugural Convenor of The Australia Institute Nordic Policy Centre. He received a Bachelor of Arts with honours in history from the University of Melbourne in 1991, and he completed his PhD at Monash University in 1999.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 8, 2022
Margot Wallström's chapter is a real eye-opener. It really shows how far Australia needs to go before we are really working to improve the situation for women globally.
I guess when we had a group of male members of the government party who set themselves the goal of sabotaging the success of the previous foreign minister, Julie Bishop, you can see that we have a problem. The fact that this group called itself "The Big Swinging Dicks" only strengthens the case for drastic reforms.
I guess when we had a group of male members of the government party who set themselves the goal of sabotaging the success of the previous foreign minister, Julie Bishop, you can see that we have a problem. The fact that this group called itself "The Big Swinging Dicks" only strengthens the case for drastic reforms.
September 15, 2021
Compelling! So many great policy ideas. The book is well structured comparing the countries and making recommendations topic by topic. Soo much ground to make up in Australia…. (A side effect is I’m keen to go for a holiday and see these great countries for myself!)
April 8, 2022
Really good read. Compiled nicely.
But, damn it shines light on how far behind and how almost unfixable our political landscape is.
But, damn it shines light on how far behind and how almost unfixable our political landscape is.
January 10, 2024
Scott and Campbell compile a variety of essays on how Australia can learn from the policymaking of the five Nordic countries - Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Denmark. Whilst they say there is no guarantee that Australia will be able to replicate these polices or there success, they posit that provide inspiration, guidance and suggestions for Australian policymakers.
The extent to which said vision is achieved depends on each chapter, as you would expect in a collection of essays. The variability of such is too much, at least for me, to be successful. The first chapter, for instance, hardly prescribes any specific policy but instead dispels the "low tax/high perfomance hypothesis". It would be helpful if the taxes where broken down by the type of tax and that less attention was given to explaining the data. Media reform provides policy suggestions but does not analyse Nordic policies sufficiently. Other chapters are rather superficial or miss the point of the policy such as the third chapter on the Norway Sovereign Wealth Fund. Whilst there is extensive consideration of ESG concerns, minimal attention is given to the purpose and operation of the fund.
Strong unions are constant throughout the book. Where unions are strong, effective policies are implemented. Workers are given greater say in decision-making, workers have greater shares of profit and workers health is prioritised over profits. I therefore feel there could have been greater discussion of industrial relations, specifically the mechanics of the system. Some discussion is given to the centralised system of many Nordic countries but it is lacking in detail.
Nonetheless, there is variety of interestering and diverse views espoused in the book. For instance, Sweden outlaws prostitution but targets the buyer, not the seller.
The extent to which said vision is achieved depends on each chapter, as you would expect in a collection of essays. The variability of such is too much, at least for me, to be successful. The first chapter, for instance, hardly prescribes any specific policy but instead dispels the "low tax/high perfomance hypothesis". It would be helpful if the taxes where broken down by the type of tax and that less attention was given to explaining the data. Media reform provides policy suggestions but does not analyse Nordic policies sufficiently. Other chapters are rather superficial or miss the point of the policy such as the third chapter on the Norway Sovereign Wealth Fund. Whilst there is extensive consideration of ESG concerns, minimal attention is given to the purpose and operation of the fund.
Strong unions are constant throughout the book. Where unions are strong, effective policies are implemented. Workers are given greater say in decision-making, workers have greater shares of profit and workers health is prioritised over profits. I therefore feel there could have been greater discussion of industrial relations, specifically the mechanics of the system. Some discussion is given to the centralised system of many Nordic countries but it is lacking in detail.
Nonetheless, there is variety of interestering and diverse views espoused in the book. For instance, Sweden outlaws prostitution but targets the buyer, not the seller.
October 7, 2024
As someone who respects Nordic policy, I really wanted to like this book. But I was left disappointed. Many of these policy possibilities sound great on paper, but that's all they will ever be because the authors here made a critical error of not providing enough close analysis on Australian political culture. If any of these ideas are to have any chance of being implemented, Australia's Washminster system will need to be completely overhauled. Most of the essays in this book seem to go into detail about how successful policies were implemented in Scandinavian countries (very little mention of Finland and Iceland), but there is barely any analysis into how such policies can be implemented in Australia with a two-party, adversarial system. If these authors had spent more time researching the Australian political landscape, rather than wearing rose-coloured glasses for Scandinavian nations, this book might have been more convincing to its target audience; which I assume, are policymakers.
The structure of this book also left much to be desired. In having a collection of essays written by different authors, there was little cohesiveness because there were too many different arguments and topics. The book tried to cover too much that it became not only dry and arduous to read but also lost focus on areas that probably needed more depth and discussion (as stated, Finland and Iceland).
Lastly, if these authors are trying to persuade policymakers to follow the Nordic approach, they might have been better off explaining solutions that can be better applied to Australia while also not constantly using each chapter to berate and criticise policymakers' efforts.
The structure of this book also left much to be desired. In having a collection of essays written by different authors, there was little cohesiveness because there were too many different arguments and topics. The book tried to cover too much that it became not only dry and arduous to read but also lost focus on areas that probably needed more depth and discussion (as stated, Finland and Iceland).
Lastly, if these authors are trying to persuade policymakers to follow the Nordic approach, they might have been better off explaining solutions that can be better applied to Australia while also not constantly using each chapter to berate and criticise policymakers' efforts.
February 5, 2023
What an absolutely fascinating and thought-provoking read. I'm so glad my uncle recommended it. While not all that has been discussed of the policies and practices of Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark) are translatable to Australia, the researchers and authors have been quite clear that the ideas, if not the policies themselves, certainly are applicable. I am now MUCH more interested in Australia's Future Fund and am looking at some current crime-related events in a different way, in terms of our collective Anglophone attitude towards punishment and incarceration. There's also lots in between to get me thinking.
Will I be doing as suggested on the back cover - give this to your local member - no, because mine is a library copy and because I live in a "safe" seat where the local member will only support the policies of their particular flavour of party. Sadly, despite living in a democracy, it's actually not up to me.
Will I be doing as suggested on the back cover - give this to your local member - no, because mine is a library copy and because I live in a "safe" seat where the local member will only support the policies of their particular flavour of party. Sadly, despite living in a democracy, it's actually not up to me.
January 17, 2023
5 stars for the concept, 3 stars for the execution. Australia can definitely learn a lot from the Nordic countries, but this book has a grabbag of what seem to be hastily written chapters. The best chapters are on tax, and Norway's sovereign fund. Most people think of education where Finland in particular leads, but there is no chapter on that.
I would have liked more about comparing the countries (just a table of key stats would have helped), and possible reasons for differences. The proportion of overseas born was briefly mentioned, but Australia is very much a more culturally diverse country than the Nordic ones with different patterns of settlement.
I would have liked more about comparing the countries (just a table of key stats would have helped), and possible reasons for differences. The proportion of overseas born was briefly mentioned, but Australia is very much a more culturally diverse country than the Nordic ones with different patterns of settlement.
August 28, 2022
In the wake of Finnish PM Sanna Marin’s party videos being leaked, I became increasingly warmed up towards the prospect of moving to a very interesting country where female leaders having a bit of fun wouldn’t be seen as such a horrible idea. So it’s timely that I stumbled upon this book at just the right time. Labor must use this argument against the Libs in their next campaign - higher taxes means happier households!! A key thing to take a way from this book is countries with the lowest taxes make for the most unhappiest citizens.
May 13, 2022
Just the book I've been looking for! It wasn't long enough. This book makes you hopeful for the future of Australian policy.
One low point was the chapter on feminist foreign policy. The author seemed more invested in justifying decisions she made in her job and jumping between topics (like how much she dislikes sex work; yikes) instead of presenting a coherent proposal.
Otherwise though, it's a fantastic volume.
8/10
One low point was the chapter on feminist foreign policy. The author seemed more invested in justifying decisions she made in her job and jumping between topics (like how much she dislikes sex work; yikes) instead of presenting a coherent proposal.
Otherwise though, it's a fantastic volume.
8/10
February 21, 2025
This was a helpful tour of a few key policy areas where Aus can learn directly from Nordic countries. A good use of time if you’re interested in the specific policy areas covered, but I wouldn’t put it on the top of your reading list.
Each chapter is distinct and covers a unique policy area, which can make the book feel disjointed at times. In one chapter, they list correlations between tax levels and various indicators of wellbeing, but - bizarrely - they don’t include any charts.
Each chapter is distinct and covers a unique policy area, which can make the book feel disjointed at times. In one chapter, they list correlations between tax levels and various indicators of wellbeing, but - bizarrely - they don’t include any charts.
December 4, 2021
A collection of essays some written by Norwegians some by Australians examining various successful policies adopted in Norway which could also be successful in Australia. Things like encouraging the transition to electric cars and alternative methods of running prisons. We need a government that is more open to new ideas. I'm not very hopeful.
April 3, 2022
Mixed review with some chapters being more interesting than others. The one on tax was a bit dry (surprise!) and the measurements chosen weren't overly convincing, even though I came in sympathetic to their argument. But Margot Wallstrom's chapter on feminist foreign policy was hugely inspiring, and I also got a lot out of the chapters about labour markets and electric vehicles.
July 11, 2022
This book puts forward powerful, evidence-based advocacy for other ways that the Australian government could look at its policies to deliver better social and economic outcomes in the future. Persuasive, coherent, equitable and attainable ideas: every Australian voter should read it and advocate for its consideration by decision-makers.
June 25, 2023
3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is an interesting collection of essays comparing Australian policies to those of Nordic countries. It starts with a good introduction but ends at the end of an essay. This could have been improved by adding a concluding piece. It feels a little unfinished.
This is an interesting collection of essays comparing Australian policies to those of Nordic countries. It starts with a good introduction but ends at the end of an essay. This could have been improved by adding a concluding piece. It feels a little unfinished.
August 8, 2021
A well-referenced and easy to read comparison of Australian policy against the Nordic countries.
September 26, 2021
a useful insertion to Australian polity; wide-ranging collection of essays on ideas for societal change; very clever front cover design
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews