“And that has fed into an economy that itself is struggling to generate the tax revenues sufficient to do what voters want and the country needs, such as an improved defence force or much better aged care.”

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Decades have passed since a federal government has embarked on genuine tax reform, and shelves in Canberra offices are filled with reviews that sank without a trace. For example, the former Treasury secretary Ken Henry’s 2010 review of the tax system advocated a three-threshold personal income tax system that, adjusted for inflation since then, would give Australia a $35,000 tax-free threshold, a 35 per cent rate up to $256,000 and a 45 per cent rate beyond that point.

As Wright notes today, Australia has a tax system that is holding back the economy, encouraging people to work on avoidance schemes while hindering governments’ ability to pay for the services demanded by voters.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers likes to frame himself as a reformer. But the Herald has so far seen few signs that Labor has the political guts and policy muscle needed to embark on much-needed root and branch change.