Policy Forum Pod

This week on Policy Forum Pod we head out of the studio for our first ever live pod, as a stellar cast of experts tackle a burning question – Should Australia declare a climate emergency. Our panel – John Hewson, Imran Ahmad, Liz Hanna, and Shane Rattenbury – share their views on what it would mean, how it might help, and what the barriers to making it work might be.This event was recorded at The Australian National University on Thursday 17 October. It was the annual Great Green Debate organised by ANU Learning Communities – a student-led organisation dedicated to bringing people together in areas of common interest. The panel was co-hosted by Policy Forum Pod’s Professor Sharon Bessell and Martyn Pearce.Imran Ahmad is Founding Director of Future Earth Australia, former Director of East-Asia and Pacific at the Global Green Growth Institute, and an Honorary Associate Professor at the Fenner School of Environment and Society.Shane Rattenbury is the ACT government's Minister for Climate Change and Sustainabilit

Despite international criticism, asylum seekers and refugees have been labelled as ‘illegals’, and painted as threats to Australia’s security. On this very special Policy Forum Pod, we talk to Julian Burnside AO QC about why politicians seem to be so unwilling to engage in honest discussions about refugees, and what lessons we can draw from history to change public attitudes and refocus on the value of human rights.Pod presenters Sharon Bessell and Julia Ahrens also discuss Donald Trump’s support for Turkey, Germany’s plans to introduce higher taxes on flight tickets, and look at some of your comments and suggestions for future episodes of Policy Forum Pod.Julian Burnside is an Australian barrister. He is also a human rights and refugee advocate, and author. Julian stood as a candidate for the Greens in his local electorate of Kooyong in the 2019 federal election.Sharon Bessell is a Professor at Crawford School of Public Policy, where she is co-leader of the ANU Individual Deprivation Measure (IDM) team. The

With an estimated 68 per cent of the world’s population predicted to be living in cities by 2050, policymakers and urban planners have myriad challenges to tackle. On this Policy Forum Pod, Paul Wyrwoll leads a discussion with Jasmine Ha, Sharon Friel, and Glenn Withers, about why migrants – both from rural areas and overseas – are flocking to cities, and how to ensure that inequality, environmental and health issues don’t dominate urban areas. They also discuss why we might move beyond city living in the future, and how to maintain prospects for rural areas.Pod presenter Julia Ahrens also talks to Hayley Boxall about her research into domestic violence and the strategies that women who experience this employ to keep safe. You can read more about her work here.Jasmine Ha is Research Fellow in the School of Demography at The Australian National University. Her research focuses on understanding the impacts of migration policies.Sharon Friel is Professor of Health Equity and Director of School of Regulation and

Despite greater openness about mental health, the stigma attached to, for example, depression and anxiety disorders still runs deep in our society. At this rate, problems are starting to outrun the solutions, with mental health disorders becoming more and more prevalent – an issue that disproportionately affects Indigenous people.On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, we have a powerful conversation with Julie Tongs, Sebastian Rosenberg, and Stewart Sutherland about whether more plans equals better policy, and how forced separation and institutional racism still affect Australia’s Indigenous communities.Pod presenters Sharon Bessell and Martyn Pearce also go over some of your suggestions for future episodes of Policy Forum Pod and give some details about the upcoming Great Green Debate which will be recorded live for Policy Forum Pod. You can register for that event here.Before you listen to the discussion, we’d like to issue a warning, particularly to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners. This episo

Economic growth has brought great prosperity to people in developed nations, but with it also comes great challenges. From debt, inequality and climate change to troubling politics all around the globe, our societies are facing strong headwinds. In a climate like this, how can policymakers ensure that everyone benefits from growth and can live a good life?On this week’s Policy Forum Pod, we talk to Katherine Trebeck about her new book The Economics of Arrival, and how to bridge the gap between what communities really need and what politicians currently deliver.Together with Katherine, pod presenters Sharon Bessell and Martyn Pearce also discuss waste management and recycling, language teaching, and look at some of your suggestions for future podcasts.Katherine Trebeck is the Policy and Knowledge lead at the Wellbeing Economy Alliance, which works to amplify the work of others in the movement for a wellbeing economy. Her book The Economics of Arrival was published in January 2019.Sharon Bessell is a Professor

Around the world, people’s work and workplaces are being transformed by globalisation and the rise of automation, robotics, and AI. That transformation brings significant challenges to policymakers, and to people who see their lives and livelihoods transformed, often in negative ways. So how can we make sure this dramatic transformation benefits humankind?On this week’s special episode of Policy Forum Pod, we hear from Richard Baldwin about his book The Globotics Upheaval: Robotics, Globalisation and the Future of Work and how policymakers can ensure society benefits from this transformation. We also talk to Professor Sharon Bessell about being listed as one the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence 2019 and hear about her research on poverty.Pod presenter Martyn Pearce also discusses some of your comments and suggestions, and looks at a sudden surge in demand for Policy Forum Pod mugs.Richard Baldwin is Professor of International Economics at the Graduate Institute, Geneva. He advises governme

Language is a powerful tool in increasing engagement, communication, and cross-cultural understanding, and could play a vital role in fostering relations between Australia and the Asia-Pacific. So how can we make sure we’re giving students the language skills and experience they need? On this week’s Policy Forum Pod an expert panel – Associate Professor Angela Scarino, Grazia Scotellaro, and Luke Courtois – discuss policy to encourage the study of Asian languages and whether is doing enough in the Asian Century.Our presenters – Professor Quentin Grafton, and Lydia Kim – also discuss what the latest twists and turns in the Brexit saga tell us about the state of democracy in the UK, tackle some of your questions and comments, and welcome some new members of our Facebook group.Angela Scarino is an Associate Professor in Applied Linguistics in the School of Communication, International Studies and Languages at the University of South Australia and is the Director of the Research Centre for Languages and Cultures.

In 2017, China cracked down on foreign waste processing by banning the import of many recyclable materials. It was a move that created huge challenges for many countries across the world – including Australia – that had previously been dependent on China for their recycling. This decision has raised major concerns about the future of waste management. With insufficient onshore processing facilities, Australia urgently needs to resolve its waste woes. On this Policy Forum Pod, we hear from Leo Dobes, Esther Hughes and Ron Wainberg about the challenges presented by waste management and recycling, and how governments and individuals can tackle them.Presenters Paul Wyrwoll and Professor Sharon Bessell lead the discussion and tackle some of your questions and comments as well.Leo Dobes is an Honorary Associate Professor of Crawford School and teaches a Masters course in Cost-Benefit Analysis. He worked almost 30 years in the Australian public service in many Senior Executive Service level roles.Esther Hughes is an

A recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) looked at the role that food systems are playing in contributing to global greenhouse emissions, and drew attention to the ways climate change is threatening the future of food production and food security. On this Policy Forum Pod, we hear from Professor Mark Howden and Professor Michael Roderick on the complex relationship between land, food, and the climate and what governments and individuals can do to tackle the issues identified in the report.Presenters Professor Quentin Grafton and Lydia Kim also discuss water policy and the Barwon-Darling river system, and tackle some of your questions and comments.Mark Howden is Director of the ANU Climate Change Institute. Mark was a major contributor to the IPCC reports for the UN, for which he shares a Nobel Peace Prize.Michael Roderick is a Professor in Research School of Earth Sciences at The Australian National University. He is a Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Clima

In November, Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised to take Australia’s engagement with the Pacific to a new level, announcing five new diplomatic missions, and a $2 billion infrastructure financing facility. But the country’s relationship with the Pacific is increasingly being overshadowed by its lack of serious action on climate, with Pacific leaders warning that the step up will fail, unless Australia takes meaningful action to address the issue.On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, host Mark Kenny is joined by Katerina Teaiwa, Pichamon Yeophantong, and Graeme Smith to discuss why the step up needs go beyond securing Australia’s backyard, while focusing on human security and climate change. They also look at why people in the Pacific don’t want to become pawns in a new power game, and how good relations can be built without spending big bucks.Pod presenter Julia Ahrens also hears from Avery Poole about the internationalisation of university curricula, and the two of them tackle some of your questions and co

From the violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar, to President Duterte’s support for extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, to intensifying efforts in Cambodia to curtail political freedom – Southeast Asia has seen many human rights violations in the past few years. And it seems that international and regional organisations, as well as third countries, have had a hard time addressing these acts of state-sanctioned violence.On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, we talk to our panel – Catherine Renshaw, Cecilia Jacob, and Hunter Marston – about ASEAN’s quiet diplomacy approach, why the UN didn’t apply more pressure on Myanmar, and what role China and the US play in shaping human rights in the region.Our presenters Paul Wyrwoll and Julia Ahrens also look at some of your comments and suggestions for future podcasts.Cecilia Jacob is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of International Relations at the Coral Bell School. Her work focuses on civilian protection, mass atrocity prevention, and international human

In November last year, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the establishment of an Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific worth $2 billion. Despite its well-intentioned goal, the initiative has also attracted criticism for not considering the private sector enough in its strategic approach. On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, we hear from three private investment experts – Frank Yourn, Sally McCutchan, and Milissa Day – about the massive infrastructure needs of the Pacific in the face of climate change, and why the role of governments should be focused on enabling private investment instead of crowding it out. We also ask the panel about what projects they would fund in Pacific Island nations if they had $3 billion to spend.Pod hosts Jill Sheppard and Julia Ahrens also chat to Roland Rich about voter suppression – what it is, why parties do it, and how to tackle it. They also discuss some of your comments and suggestions for future episodes.Milissa Day is Regional Representative for

Professor Philip Alston accused the Trump administration of being driven by “contempt, and sometimes even hatred for the poor,” compared the UK’s post-GFC austerity welfare policies to Victorian workhouses, and warned the country’s poor faced lives that were “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” In return, he’s been accused of bias by the US, warned he’d be the subject of a formal complaint to the UN from the UK government, and seen his report blasted by a UK newspaper as an “insult to our national intelligence.” In this very special Policy Forum Pod, Alston talks about tackling climate change, Brexit and Boris Britain, and why the “gloves need to come off.” Philip Alston is John Norton Pomeroy Professor of Law at New York University. He is currently UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. In 2014, he was a member of the Security Council-established commission of inquiry on the Central African Republic. He previously served as Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, as well a

How are the world’s business leaders adapting to the Sustainable Development Goals? That’s the topic for this week’s Policy Forum Pod, where we hear from John Denton, the Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce. Pod hosts Julia Ahrens and Quentin Grafton also discuss the challenges facing the Murray-Darling Basin and tackle some of your questions and comments. John Denton AO is the Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce. Lydia Kim is an Associate Editor at Policy Forum. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics alongside a Bachelor of Finance at the Australian National University. Quentin Grafton is Professor of Economics at Crawford School, an ANU Public Policy Fellow, and Director of the Centre for Water Economics, Environment and Policy. Julia Ahrens is a presenter on Policy Forum Pod. Show notes | The following were mentioned in this episode: United Nations (UN) report on climate change and poverty Climate change causing homelessnes

The National Disability Insurance Scheme is a significant policy. Launched in 2016, the NDIS provides support to Australians with a disability, their families, and their carers. But while it has been broadly welcomed, its implementation has not been without significant challenges. This week on Policy Forum Pod we hear from former Labor government Minister Jenny Macklin, Dr Gemma Carey, and Clare Moore about what it will take to fix the NDIS. Pod hosts Sara Bice and Martyn Pearce also chat to Carolyn Hendriks about the ‘Stomping Grounds’ project and how it could change the way our cities and towns are used, and discuss some of your questions and suggestions for future pods. Gemma Carey is the Research Director of the Centre for Social Impact UNSW and an NHMRC Fellow. She holds a PhD in social policy and population health from the University of Melbourne and a Masters in Anthropology from the University of Adelaide. Her current research is concerned with the implementation of the National Disability Insurance S

Fake news, global media moguls flexing their political muscles, getting people to pay for journalism, and the challenge posed by social media companies – the problems facing the media and journalism are many. In our panel discussion this week, Gideon Rachman of the Financial Times, Siddharth Varadarajan of The Wire, and Amy Remeikis of The Guardian Australia talk to Mark Kenny and Jill Sheppard about the future of the media. Pod hosts Sara Bice and Martyn Pearce also chat to Professor Mirya Holman about getting more women in political leadership positions, how female political candidates use Twitter, and the connection between pandemics and the politics of climate change. Amy Remeikis is Guardian Australia's political reporter. She has covered federal politics, Queensland politics, crime, court, and garden shows during her career, working for radio and newspapers, most recently for Fairfax Media. She was an inaugural nominee of the Young Walkley awards. Gideon Rachman became chief foreign affairs columnist fo

In March, the Australian Public Service review set out four priorities for change to future-proof the public service. But will those changes be enough to tackle the significant challenges ahead and rebuild declining trust in institutions? We hear from the review’s Chair David Thodey in conversation with Helen Sullivan and get the thoughts of review panel member and fellow policy podcaster Glyn Davis.David Thodey is Chair of the Australian Public Service review, Chair of the Commonwealth Science, Industry & Research Organisation, the national research organisation for Australia, and the Chair of JobsNSW, the NSW independent organisation responsible for the creation of 150K new jobs through to 2020. He was formerly the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Telstra.Glyn Davis is a Distinguished Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy. He was previously Vice-Chancellor at the University of Melbourne from 2005 to 2018, and is renowned as one of Australia’s finest higher education leaders,

Australians support science and having policy informed by the best scientific evidence, but in the recent federal election campaign, science was in short supply. So what more should scientists and the scientific community do to encourage evidence-based policy to tackle the big issues of our time? What responsibilities to scientists have to engage directly with the public, particularly in the frequently hostile environment of social media? And how can we tackle the rise of anti-science? On this Policy Forum Pod, we’re joined by two of nation’s leading scientists – Anna-Maria Arabia and Ian Chubb – to put science and science policy under the microscope.Our expert panel also discuss why science isn’t always at the forefront of national debates, the importance of moving away from short-termism when it comes to implementing robust science policy, and how science is presented and debated.Anna-Maria Arabia is Chief Executive of the Australian Academy of Science. She was Principal Adviser to the Hon Bill Shorten. She

If you could have your wishes granted and have Australia’s government implement three policies that would change the country for the better, what would you choose? That’s the question we put to our panel this week. Our experts – Helen Sullivan, Inala Cooper, and Janine O’Flynn give us their wish lists in conversation with Sharon Bessell.Helen Sullivan is the Director of Crawford School of Public Policy. Her research and teaching explore the changing nature of state-society relationships; including the theory and practice of governance and collaboration, innovative forms of democratic participation, new thinking about public policy and the practice of public service reform.Inala Cooper is a Yawuru woman from Broome in The Kimberley, WA, and is an advocate for Indigenous rights, social justice, and human rights. She is also the Relationships and Engagement Lead at Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity at the University of Melbourne, and is Director on the Board of Culture Is Life.Janine O’Flynn is Professor of Pub

For a brief moment during Australia’s recent election campaign, everyone’s attention was turned towards electric vehicles – and rightfully so. Electric vehicle sales are booming around the world, and the motor industry is rapidly rolling out electric car models and setting significant sales targets. But with Labor’s electric vehicle policy now barely visible in the rear-view mirror, will policymakers ever take the wheel, or is Australia’s electric vehicle policy in need of roadside assist? On this Policy Forum Podcast, our panel – Michael De Percy, Liz Hanna, and James Prest – drive a discussion about the kind of government intervention and infrastructure Australia needs, ways to incentivise and familiarise consumers when it comes to new technologies, and the crossroads between electric vehicles and health. Michael De Percy is a Senior Lecturer in Political Science in the School of Government and Policy, Fellow of the National Security Institute, and Academic Fellow of IGPA at the University of Canberra. Liz