We need to reform the way we talk about reform. Unless we urgently implement "reform reform", it’s likely that hard-working mums and dads will lose their jobs and life savings and, obviously, that would be the fault of the Labor Party. And the unions. And anyone else opposed to the reform reforms.

In Australia, powerful groups act as though they own the word reform. Anyone who opposes their preferred changes is labelled retrograde and a hater of "hard-working mums and dads".

Words matter, and when politicians and business leaders strip words of their meaning they’re really stripping themselves of the ability to change anyone’s mind. The word reform simply means "change for the better". Arguing that we need to change the tax system for the better is like arguing we need to reduce childhood obesity or congestion in cities. Everyone agrees. The question is what constitutes a better tax system, or a better industrial relations system, or how to best improve kids’ health.

But because those who want to cut company tax rates and make it easier to sack workers are afraid they won’t be able to convince the majority of Australians that such tax and IR changes would be "for the better", they keep the details of their proposals to themselves and simply call for "reform". It’s an Orwellian abuse of language, and it works a treat.

Neo-liberalism’s best trick has always been to pretend there is no alternative. Countries can either embrace low taxes, low-quality services and low wages or they can become uncompetitive wastelands in which mums and dads fear for their and their children’s futures. But of course, alternatives do exist.

The countries with the highest incomes, levels of productivity and levels of happiness are also the highest taxing countries with high levels of public funding and high levels of union membership. While it’s easy for the government and business to airbrush Nordic out of debates about economic reform in Australia, it’s impossible to airbrush them from the IMF, World Bank and OECD league tables.