Public Policy
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STEPHEN LEEDER. The Evil You Cannot See.
Concern about air quality in Australia popularly centres around two topics: exhaust stacks from city road tunnels and climate change. Neither are as critically important as the effects of small particle pollution. Continue reading »
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HAMISH McDONALD. Australia takes immigration debate to a new low. (Nikkei Asian Review 5/9/2018)
In early August, the population of Australia reached 25 million, according to the government’s statistics bureau — more than three times its size in 1948, when I came into the world as one of 7.7 million Australians. Unlike a lot of my compatriots, I’m happy about the expansion and hope there will be many more Continue reading »
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VIC ROWLANDS. The Education funding battle and public education.
When then minister Simon Birmingham accepted the recommendations of the Gonski 2 Education funding model it was a courageous attempt to redress the mistakes of the past. His replacement post Turnbull by Dan Tehan sent a message that the traditional powerful education lobbies are still well and truly the influential players. It doesn’t auger well Continue reading »
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BOB DOUGLAS. Homelessness, a sign of increasing Australian Inequality that we must now address.
The growing number of people sleeping rough on the streets of our cities has alerted many Australians to the fact that Australia is no longer the egalitarian society we once were, and that, as in other western democracies, inequality is on the rise. Continue reading »
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CHRISTIAN DOWNIE. Lack of climate policy threatens to trip up Australian diplomacy this summit season.
Australia has navigated a somewhat stormy passage through the Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru. Scott Morrison’s new-look government faced renewed accusations at the summit about the strength of Australia’s resolve on climate policy. Continue reading »
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MARK DANTA, CHUN MA, RICHARD DAY, DAVID MA. Dealing with the spiraling price of medicines: how “low” can it go?
New medications are increasingly expensive. In Australia, where the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) covers the vast majority of prescription medications, the spiraling cost of medicines has a significant impact on the sustainability of our health system. In countries where patients are required to contribute substantially to the medicine cost, high prices can negatively influence their Continue reading »
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LYNLEY WALLIS, BRYCE BARKER, HEATHER BURKE. How unearthing Queensland’s ‘native police’ camps gives us a window onto colonial violence.
In 19th century Queensland, the Native Mounted Police were responsible for “dispersing” (a euphemism for systematic killing) Aboriginal people. Continue reading »
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ILAN WIESEL, LISS RALSTON, WENDY STONE. How the housing boom has driven rising inequality.
The Productivity Commission – the Australian government’s highly influential economic advisory body – released a report titled Rising Inequality? last week. The question mark indicates its scepticism about other research findings on rising inequality in Australia. The commission responded to its own question in the report’s very first heading: “Over nearly three decades, inequality has Continue reading »
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IAN WEBSTER: Preventing suicide
The 10th September is recognised as World Suicide Prevention Day. “The burden of suicide does not weigh solely on the health sector; it has multiple impacts on many sectors and on society as a whole. Thus, to start a successful journey towards the prevention of suicide, countries should employ a multisectoral approach that addresses suicide Continue reading »
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GEOFF GALLOP. What does it mean to be educated?
In the Campion Lecture at St Aloysius College, Sydney, on 15 August 2018, Geoff Gallop, former Premier of WA, spoke about the post-truth world and the importance of understanding the role of education in our society. He said in conclusion: Over the centuries human beings have learnt much about nature and society, how to co-exist Continue reading »
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MARIE SELLSTROM. Rural Australians for Refugees making a statement in rural communities.
There is a growing consciousness in rural and regional Australia…..it is centred in NSW and Victoria and is spreading through Queensland to Cairns and moving south through to Tasmania and South Australia and across to Albany. It is the responsiveness of men, women and children in country Australia who support people seeking refuge and asylum Continue reading »
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WANNING SUN. Reasons aplenty for China’s ban of the ABC.
As a form of symbolism, banning a website works much more effectively than conventional expressions of official displeasure such as flexing military muscles, cancelling a trade deal, recalling a country’s ambassador or refusing a foreign correspondent’s visa. Continue reading »
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JOHN DWYER. How are we going to water the farm now that copious life sustaining rain is but a memory?
The change in the world’s climate is currently on full display with equatorial deluges, hurricanes and typhoons causing destruction and misery while the the rest of the world burns and experiences record temperatures further North than ever recorded before. As a 78 year old Australian I am well aware of the frequency with which our Continue reading »
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JOHN MENADUE. Why dental care was excluded from Medicare and why it should now be included
In 1974, the Whitlam Government decided to exclude dental care from Medicare for two reasons. The first was cost. The second was political in that Gough Whitlam felt that combatting the doctors would be hard enough without having to combat dentists as well. Forty-four years later, with Australia much richer and the proven success of Continue reading »
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Chinese Australians Or Australian Chinese?
The Chinese Australian community has been hijacked in the current public debate about the extent of Chinese influence in Australia. Far-right elements are fanning anti-Asian feelings and there is an upsurge in racism in major cities. Government leaders now more than ever should affirm the many contributions of the Chinese Australian community. It is an Continue reading »
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LUCIANA PORFIRIO, DAVID NEWTH, JOHN FINNIGAN. Climate change will reshape the world’s agricultural trade.
Ending world hunger is a central aspiration of modern society. To address this challenge – along with expanding agricultural land and intensifying crop yields – we rely on global agricultural trade to meet the nutritional demands of a growing world population. Continue reading »
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ANGUS WHYTE. A farmers’ perspective on the drought.
As someone who is dependent on Mother Nature for a living, climate is very much a “front and centre” issue for all farmers. I graze livestock on semi-arid, native rangeland pastures in western NSW; the numbers we graze is dependent on the amount of pasture we grow, which of course relies on sufficient rainfall. Here’s what Continue reading »
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Business gives up on Coalition, turns to Labor and states on energy, climate
Here’s the most damning assessment of the Coalition’s energy and climate policy, such as it remains after the crucifixion of Malcolm Turnbull and the elevation of conservatives Scott Morrison as prime minister and Angus Taylor as energy minister: Continue reading »
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NICK KILVERT. Fossil record points to ‘major transformation’ of Australian ecosystems in next 100 years.
If the world continues on a “business-as-usual” trajectory on climate change, global ecosystems including Australia’s will undergo a “major transformation” over the next century. Continue reading »
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LAURIE PATTON. It’s time to clean up the Internet
This week a new CEO joined the Internet Society – the global not-for-profit overseeing the development of the Internet since1992. In his first official statement Andrew Sullivan noted that it’s a challenging time for the Internet. I agree. Which is why this article, originally posted back in June, still resonates. Continue reading »
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BEHROUZ BOOCHANI. Australia needs a moral revolution (the Guardian 31.08.18)
Five years ago, on a boiling hot day, Australian immigration minister Scott Morrison entered Manus Prison. A number of refugees who represented various groups were invited to meet with him. In that meeting, the refugee representatives found themselves being threatened – Morrison pointed his finger at them and yelled: “You have no chance of coming Continue reading »
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MICHAEL PASCOE. Billions wasted on drought aid that’s not helping those who need it most.
Wealthy people are stuffing their kitchen cupboards with donated goods and their sheds with free hay while animal welfare is being ignored and low-paid rural workers go without favours. Continue reading »
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GABRIELLE CHAN. Climate change making drought worse, farmers’ federation chief says.
Fiona Simson says people have been tiptoeing around the subject for too long and it is time for a national strategy. Continue reading »
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ALESSANDRO DEMAIO. An evidence-based five-point plan to tackle child obesity in Australia.
Few challenges are a greater threat to the health of Australians than obesity. Weight gain has now become the norm—the biological and social path of least resistance. Within a decade and without significant government intervention, more Australians are expected to be obese than normal weight. Opportunities to stem the tide of obesity do exist – Continue reading »
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ANTHONY PUN: The aftermath of the China Panic & its influence on a General Election
The China Panic has an unintended consequence of shaping the minds of the Chinese Australians and taught them how to be a strategic player in Australian politics. The monopoly held by the “Milking Cows”, and “Uncle Toms” in delivering votes to a political party would soon be over and the community will insist on being Continue reading »
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PETER SMALL. National Party and Climate
Why farmers who are at the forefront of the impact from climate change, continue to support the National Party, a party of climate sceptics? After a week of unfathomable machinations in Canberra, a decade of climate wars and the “death” of five Prime Ministers we are no nearer to a policy on climate or energy Continue reading »
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WALEED ALY. Dutton’s au pair drama shows hypocrisy of immigration policy (SMH 31/8/2018)
“As a discretionary and humanitarian act to an individual with ongoing needs, it is in the interests of Australia as a humane and generous society to grant this person a tourist visa.” That’s Peter Dutton, then immigration minister, in the official document by which he intervened to allow an au pair to enter the country. Continue reading »
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JANE CADZOW. The watchman – Scott Morrison (Sun Herald, 3 November 2012)
Accused of inflaming racism, Scott Morrison insists people have the wrong idea about him. Jane Cadzow meets the Liberals’ immigration spokesman. This article was published in the Sun Herald on 3 November 2012 . In his maiden speech in 2008 Scott Morrison said ‘From my faith, I derive the values of loving kindness, justice and Continue reading »
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CNN Interview with New York Mayer BILL de BLASIO (DEM) on Rupert Murdoch’s media
BRIAN STELTER, CNN HOST: Welcome back to RELIABLE SOURCES. I’m Brian Stelter. If you asked New York City’s mayor what lies behind a lot of the negativity and the divisiveness creeping this nation, he’s got a simple answer for you. He says it’s the media empire of Rupert Murdoch that’s at fault. Bill de Blasio Continue reading »
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JAMES FERNYHOUGH. Climate change action off the agenda under Morrison government.
Energy Minister Angus Taylor has unveiled a new energy policy focused exclusively on reducing electricity prices, in a strong signal the Morrison government will abandon all efforts to lower carbon emissions. Continue reading »