by Priscilla Shorne

It is interesting in these days of corporate collapses and rising insurance premiums to consider the role of risk in our lives. We live in a country with a government which tries to make life safer through regulation of risks. For example, we are expected to vaccinate our chil- dren to avoid the risk of disease and sanctions are applied if we do not; we must wear our seat belts when driving or face a potential fine; we must wear bike helmets when cycling, public health campaigns are carried out to encourage safe sexual practice and yet at the same time, risk is becoming a greater part of our lives. Stories in the media suggest that we have become an increasingly litigious society, expecting the right to sue someone for any mishap; we have an expectation that we can and should be protected from all possible dangers.

Yet there is evidence that the protection of the welfare state in Australia is breaking down due to a number of factors such as globalization, and changes in political and economic ideology.

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