To take the NDIS to the next level will require cultural and operational changes that give the National Disability Insurance Agency the tools, and the mindset, to properly manage its business. (more…)
Category: Policy
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Australia needs to retain women in STEM careers
If we are serious about productivity, innovation and long-term economic resilience, we cannot afford to keep losing women from STEM occupations and leadership pipelines. We cannot afford to overlook experience. And we cannot afford decision-making structures that draw from only part of the population. (more…)
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More than 1 in 3 Australian adults are functionally illiterate
Australians spend more money per capita on education than most comparable nations. We should therefore have high levels of literacy but we don’t, with persistent levels of functional illiteracy among Australian adults. There is evidence to show how to fix this. (more…)
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Not much ‘reform’ in the National Health Reform Agreement
Australia needs an integrated health service model that is able to focus on the prevention of illness rather than just more money for hospitals, welcome though this is. (more…)
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Looking for a home in a land of empty houses
Beneath the current political debates about housing demand lies an unavoidable reality. Empty dwellings sit alongside visible and hidden forms of homelessness, with many people attempting to create homes in inhospitable places rather than submit to overbearing regulation and continual intrusions into their personal lives. (more…)
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Could the government have blocked return of Australian women and children from Syria?
The Australian Government has to manage the return of its citizens, except in very particular circumstances when citizenship can be cancelled, a passport denied or a temporary exclusion order issued.
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Connect people leaving prison with a job: it works!
Almost everyone in prison today will return to our communities. Whether they reoffend depends on what we do to prevent recidivism. In Western Australia, we know what works – prisoner employment programs – so the question is will we allow it to happen instead of relying on counterproductive risk management and control strategies? (more…)
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The NDIS has transformed lives – but profit is distorting its purpose
The NDIS has enabled greater independence and inclusion, but privatisation and provider profiteering are driving up costs and distorting its purpose. (more…)
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Antisemitism inquiry interim report: we don’t need more terror laws – we need gun reform
The antisemitism inquiry interim report finds Australia already has extensive terrorism laws, while urging governments to move faster on long-delayed national gun reform.
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Why at-risk children keep falling through the net
Child protection and research systems rely on the presence of a functioning parent, leaving many of the most vulnerable children unseen and unsupported. (more…)
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Why a 73 year old Jew had himself arrested
After being arrested in Brisbane for wearing a T-shirt that read ‘Jews for a free Palestine from the river to the sea’, a 73-year-old Jewish protester writes that the law is suppressing dissent and targeting supporters of human rights. (more…)
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Independent media probably won’t benefit from the new social media tax
A proposed levy on tech giants could deliver hundreds of millions for Australian journalism, but current settings risk directing the funds to large media companies rather than independent media. (more…)
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Rethinking Australia’s place in the world in an era of fracture
As part of our Foreign Policy Rethink series, Joseph Camilleri sets out the case for breaking with a militarised, US-aligned mindset and building a more independent, cooperative approach to security and global engagement. (more…)
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Supercharging our AI Safety Institute now could make all the difference
A modest increase in funding for Australia’s AI Safety Institute could position the country as a global leader in a fast-growing industry, while managing risks and unlocking major economic gains. (more…)
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Multiculturalism should shape Australia’s foreign policy
In the latest of our Foreign Policy Rethink series, Jocelyn Chey argues that Australia’s foreign policy must better reflect its multicultural society and leverage its diversity in international engagement. (more…)
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It’s time to tax gas exports in the national interest
The best way to stop the massive under-taxation of Australian LNG would be to fix the petroleum resource rent tax, but a quick second best would be a tax on export revenue. (more…)
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Australia can’t have self-reliant defence and nuclear submarines
In the latest in our Foreign Policy Rethink series, Mike Gilligan argues that Australia’s renewed focus on defence self-reliance is incompatible with its deepening commitment to AUKUS and nuclear submarines. (more…)
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Time for Premier Minns to “move on” his anti-protest laws
Court rulings have struck down NSW protest laws as unconstitutional, reaffirming that peaceful protest is a vital component of democratic life and cannot be curtailed by government overreach. (more…)
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Australia’s foreign policy needs renovation, not demolition
In the latest of our Foreign Policy Rethink series, Peter Varghese outlines how alliance, region and multilateralism must be recalibrated for a more contested and uncertain global order. (more…)
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The NDIS reform is a real test of Labor’s courage
The proposed NDIS overhaul marks a rare moment of substantive reform – and a test of whether the Albanese government is willing to follow through in the face of political pressure. (more…)
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We could have had fuel security by now. Let’s not make the same mistake twice
Electric vehicles are now cost-competitive and critical to reducing exposure to global fuel shocks, making faster adoption a matter of economic and national security. (more…)
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We may be making Australia’s fire problem worse – not better
Research shows that logging, thinning and prescribed burning can increase forest flammability, challenging long-held assumptions about bushfire risk reduction. (more…)
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Climate policy must work for everyday Australians
In a new book out today, Thom Woodroofe argues that climate and energy policy must connect with everyday economic pressures if it is to build lasting public support.
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NDIS and the moment Labor blinked
The NDIS overhaul is not just about costs and governance – it is a test of whether Labor still believes in the social guarantees that have defined its reformist tradition.
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Fuel security needs a rethink – and rail is part of it
Australia’s reliance on imported fuel, declining reserves and road-heavy transport system have created vulnerabilities that require urgent policy reform.
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Tune in, turn on, and drop out: the case for legalising psychedelics is stronger than ever
Decades of prohibition have failed to stop psychedelic drug use while blocking research and treatment options, raising questions about the basis of current laws.
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Non-discrimination is a core Australian value. We must defend it
Policies which link migration to “values” undermine a fundamental principle of Australia’s immigration system – fairness without discrimination.
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It takes two to make alliances and the US may run away first
As US commitment to alliances wavers, Australia faces urgent questions about its security, independence, and place in a rapidly shifting global order. (more…)
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Australia’s school system is driving inequality – not fixing it
Australia’s school system has become a self-reinforcing cycle of inequality, and without structural reform, the divide between advantaged and disadvantaged students will continue to widen.
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Shock, horror! An effective parliament in our time?
An ACT Legislative Assembly committee has strengthened proposed sentencing laws by listening to expert evidence and improving the legislation. (more…)