Policy Forum Pod

This year, Australia’s National Reconciliation Week theme is ‘Grounded in Truth: Walk Together with Courage’. But just how courageous has Australia’s Indigenous policy been, and what will it take to get it right? Will Ken Wyatt’s appointment as the first Indigenous minister for Indigenous Affairs bring the change that Australia needs? On this episode, we hear from Tony Dreise on the ups-and-downs of Indigenous policies past and present, and get his suggestions for policies for the future. We also consider government spending and whether it’s been proportionate to the levels of disadvantage felt across Indigenous communities. Tony Dreise is Professor of Indigenous Policy Research and Director of the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) at the Australian National University. He is nationally and internationally recognised as a First Nations leader in policy, evaluation, and research in the field of education. Our presenters – Sharon Bessell and Martyn Pearce – also chat about New Zealand’s rec

Australia’s election result took many by surprise. The polls may have been predicting a win for the Labor Party, but instead it is the Coalition led by Scott Morrison that was returned to government. But with Australia dealing with some of the most serious issues it’s faced in decades, will the Coalition’s policy platform be able to provide the reform the country needs? Our stellar panel – Liz Allen, Paul Burke, John Hewson, and Warwick McKibbin – give us their thoughts on the policy commitments and the challenges ahead for the nation. Will the government have to completely rethink its climate policy? How important is framing when it comes to conversations around migration policy? Can Australia’s economy balance revenue uncertainty with the certainty of the promised budget cuts? Tune in for an excellent discussion. Dr Liz Allen is a demographer and social researcher with quantitative and qualitative expertise at The Australian National University. Associate Professor Paul Burke is an economist focusing on ene

Over the past decades, Australia has lacked stability in its climate policy even as climate change becomes impossible for the world to ignore. With Australian voters heading to the polls this Saturday, does the country have the policy promises it needs to spark an energy change? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Ken Baldwin, Kylie Catchpole, and Mark Kenny look at how Australia can transition to renewables even without a strong policy framework to lead the way. Ken Baldwin is Director of the Energy Change Institute at ANU, and Deputy Director of the Research School of Physics and Engineering. Since 2011, he has been a member of the Project Steering Committee for the Australian Energy Technology, and since 2014, he has been a Board member of the South East Region of Renewable Energy Excellence. Kylie Catchpole is at the Research School of Engineering at the Australian National University. Her research interests are in nanotechnology and new materials for solar cell applications. She has a physics degree fro

In a 24-hour news cycle, the first 100 days of government have remarkable influence on the perceived success or failure of the incoming Ministry. With regards to policy, there are no shortage of suggestions of tweaks, wholesale changes, and shelving of initiatives.  In this special Policy Forum Pod extra, a panel from The Australian National University looks at what crucial changes the incoming government needs to make in its first 100 days. Panellists: Professor Russell Gruen is the Dean of the ANU College of Health and Medicine. A surgeon, he is an expert in the care of critically injured people, and the development of high performing regional trauma systems. Professor John Hewson is Chair of the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute. He is an economic and financial expert with careers in academia, business, government, media and the financial system. Professor Anna Moore is Director of the ANU Institute for Space, and Director of the Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre at Mount Stromlo Observatories

In an age of ever-growing interconnectedness amongst countries, Australia finds itself having to face different obstacles and opportunities relating to trade, international security, and international law. But the changing nature of global dynamics has also encouraged greater discourse around inequality within countries’ own borders. All things considered, the upcoming federal election could well be the deciding moment for Australia’s future. In this special Policy Forum Pod extra, a panel from The Australian National University looks at how Australia might chart a course through the challenges of a globalised world. Panellists: Shiro Armstrong is the Director of the Australia-Japan Research Centre and Director of the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research at ANU. He is also a Co-Editor and Co-Founder of both the East Asia Forum and East Asia Forum Quarterly. Sharon Bessell is the Director of the Children’s Policy Centre at Crawford School, the ANU lead on the Individual Deprivation Measure Project, and Edito

From accidentally liking your own social media posts to celebrating in the wake of announcing a budget emergency, policy and political communication are challenging and when done badly can be catastrophic. On this week’s Policy Forum Pod we dig into the alchemy of policy communication – where it’s been done well, when it’s been done badly, and how it can be done better – with our expert panel Frank Bongiorno, Fiona Benson, Andrew Hughes, and Pamela Kinnear. It’s essential listening for anyone involved in the policymaking process. This week’s policy panel are: Fiona Benson is founder of FJ Partners Strategic Advisory. She is a former press secretary to two federal cabinet ministers, and specialises in devising innovative stakeholder engagement, media, and communications strategies. Professor Frank Bongiorno is the Head of the School of History at ANU and is an Australian labour, political, and cultural historian. His books include The Eighties: The Decade That Transformed Australia; The People’s Party: Victori

Many of the big challenges in Australian policy seem intractable. How the country responds – or doesn’t – will shape society for decades to come. In this live panel event, recorded on 30 April 2019, experts discuss how to tackle big issues the country faces and whether the election commitments made so far are likely to succeed in addressing them. This panel event is the second in the ANU federal election series. Panellists: Liz Allen is a demographer and social researcher with quantitative and qualitative expertise at The Australian National University. Robert Breunig is a Professor at Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. He conducts research in three main areas: economics of the household; empirical industrial organisation; and statistical and econometric theory. Tony Dreise is Professor of Indigenous Policy Research and Director of the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR). He is nationally and internationally recognised as a First Nations leader in policy, eval

On this week’s Policy Forum Pod, our expert panel discusses how Timor-Leste has fared during the last two years of political discord, with its president refusing to appoint several of the prime minister’s nominations for executive positions. We hear from the panel – António Sampaio, Carmeneza dos Santos Monteiro, and Professor Michael Leach – on how Timor-Leste can tackle its policy problems, and about the role of the country’s youth in driving political change. António Sampaio is a journalist who has been covering Timor-Leste since 1990. He has reported for most of the Portuguese written press and, in Australia, for News Limited’s newspapers including The Australian, and for SBS radio and television. Carmeneza dos Santos Monteiro is the Director for Policy and Institutional Strengthening at The Asia Foundation, Timor-Leste, where she leads initiatives addressing Government Accountability through Social Audit and Emerging Leaders Supporting Public Policy. Michael Leach is a Professor in Politics and Internati

On this week’s Policy Forum Pod, a panel of experts tackle how the region’s countries are finding the funding to build climate change resilience and how to turn international-level policy into positive local-level outcomes. The panel – Kirsty Anantharajah, Dr Abidah Setyowati, and Dr Kate Duggan – also discuss whether the growing pool of climate finance is supporting national governments deliver Pacific-specific priorities, and the barriers they face in accessing those funds. Kirsty Anantharajah is a PhD scholar at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance. She is also a research associate on a DFAT-funded project ‘Harnessing financial markets and institutional investment to increase the penetration of clean energy in the Asia-Pacific’. Dr Kate Duggan is Director of Griffin Natural Resource Management. She has worked closely with the Australian aid program to develop climate change and environment policy responses at a global level and for country-based programs. Dr Abidah Setyowati is a Research Fel

In this special Policy Forum Pod Extra, a panel of experts take a look at the start of the Australian election campaign. This podcast is a live event recorded as part of Policy Forum’s Australia Votes coverage produced with The Australian National University. As we enter the 2019 election race, what is going on behind the scenes in Australian politics? With six different prime ministers in the past 11 years, have we lost trust in our political leaders? What does the future hold for Australian democracy? In this live panel event, recorded on 17 April, experts discuss the state of Australian politics. This panel event is the first in The ANU Federal Election series. To register for future events, go to https://www.anu.edu.au/events/anu-2019-federal-election-panel-series Panellists:          Dr Katrine Beauregard is a lecturer in the School of Politics and International Relations. Her work focuses on political behaviour, and why people vote the way they do. Professor Frank Bongiorno AM is the Head of the School

On this week’s Policy Forum Pod, Naila Kabeer discusses the gendered nature of poverty and inequality with host Sharon Bessell. Why are women affected differently from men? And how effective are the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals in addressing the issues? They discuss everything from poverty as both a state and a process, to how domestic violence and the patriarchy intersect, and the importance of disaggregated data and gendered wording in the UN. Naila Kabeer is Professor of Gender and Development at London School of Economics' Department of Gender Studies and Department of International Development. Sharon Bessell is Director of the Children’s Policy Centre at Crawford School, the ANU lead on the Individual Deprivation Measure Project, and Editor of Policy Forum’s Poverty: In Focus section. Martyn Pearce is Editor of Policy Forum. Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode: Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny Building women’s livelihoods: an evidence-based theory of change

You asked, we answered! This week on Policy Forum Pod, we celebrate 100 episodes by responding to your questions with a bit of help from some of our friends around The Australian National University. The Pod tackles specific issues including climate change, the upcoming Australian election, and the electricity market. We also take a look at the viability of high-speed rail, the overcrowding of cities, and whether Australia has to make a China choice. But we also tackle some less obvious policy issues – from how to eat quiche, to the merits (or otherwise) of pineapple on pizza. Tackling your questions this week are Policy Forum Pod regulars Sharon Bessell, Paul Wyrwoll, Julia Ahrens, and Martyn Pearce. We were also delighted to be joined by a very special guest – Jodie-Lee Trembath, Managing Editor of the brilliant The Familiar Strange podcast and blog. Helping the panel answer the questions is a stellar cast of experts from around ANU, including Professor Richard Rigby, Mark Kenny, Dr Liz Allen, Associate Pro

Can the Australian Public Service transform itself into the trusted and united bureaucracy it wants to be, or has creeping politicisation broken public trust and confidence in it as an institution? This week on Policy Forum Pod we take a look at the APS review and find out whether it really will make it fit for the future. Our expert panel – Helen Sullivan, Bob McMullan, and Harley Dennett – discuss some of the challenges facing the APS and whether the recent review’s recommendations can tackle the big issues. Our presenters, Bob Cotton and Julia Ahrens, also take a look at an Australian budget that sounded a lot like an election pitch, and how the country is tackling (or not tackling) climate change. They also chat about some of your comments, discuss some ideas for future podcasts from members of our Policy Forum Pod Facebook group, and ask for your help with next week’s 100th episode of the pod. This week’s expert panel: Professor Helen Sullivan is the Director of Crawford School of Public Policy. Her rese

The devastating attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand shocked the world and claimed the lives of 50 people. In response, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern rushed through a new firearms policy and openly showed her solidarity with the Muslim community. Social media companies, however, were criticised for a sluggish response in removing footage of the attacks and questions have been asked about how the mainstream media covered the terrible events. This week our expert panel – Jacinta Carroll, Anooshe Mushtaq, Caroline Fisher, and Mathieu O’Neil – take a look at Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) policies, pathways to radicalisation, and the role of mainstream and social media. Our presenters Sharon Bessell and Martyn Pearce also take a look at the Al Jazeera’s undercover investigation into One Nation, and an historic week in the slow-motion car crash that is Brexit. They also tackle some suggestions for future pods from new members of our Policy Forum Pod Facebook group, and ask for your h

This week on Policy Forum Pod, we take a look at shocks to the system – from Trump to Brexit – and ask whether our institutions are up to the task of dealing with them. We take a close look at Brexit and ask whether the promoters and supporters of Brexit really understood what would be involved, how the European Union has – and should have – responded, and where it might all be headed as the UK hurtles towards Brexit Day. From referendum to the day the UK is currently planned to leave the European Union, it’s been three years in the making, but Brexit maintains its ability to surprise commentators, policymakers and the politicians pushing both for and against it. This week on the pod our expert panel -­ Nik Gowing, Anne McNaughton, and Alister Wedderburn - take a look at shocks to democratic systems with a focus on Brexit and ask whether we should have seen them coming, if we are responding properly when they happen, and where the next shock might come from. Our presenters, Sue Regan and Paul Wyrwoll, also di

Last week, the world celebrated International Women’s Day with an outpouring of inspiring stories and recognition of the female heroes in our families, communities, and politics. But it also saw a speech from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison where he said “we want to see women rise, but we don’t want to see women rise only on the basis of others doing worse.” This week on the pod, our panel – Kim Rubenstein, Helen Machalias, and Caitlin Figueiredo – take a look at women in policy and politics, the power of diversity in building good policies, and what roles gender quotas can play. Our presenters – Sharon Bessell, Sally-Anne Henfry, and Julia Ahrens – also discuss ABC’s new soap-opera The Heights, Theresa May’s never-ending Brexit nightmare, and the excellent The Familiar Strange podcast. On top of that, they take a closer look at several of the interesting comments and suggestions you’ve left us – so keep them coming! This week we’ve welcomed: Kim Rubenstein is Professor in the Law School in the ANU C

Why do so many welfare systems end up punishing people rather than helping them, or doing more harm than good? How do these policies affect the lives of those who depend on welfare services? And what can policymakers do to remedy the situation - could a universal basic income help? Our guests John Falzon, Bob Gregory, and Sue Olney explore these questions and more. Our presenters Sharon Bessell and Martyn Pearce also talk about the Australian Labor Party’s recent election promises on making abortion safe for the country’s women, as well as taking a look at a few of the comments and questions you have left us over the last week. This week’s panel consists of: John Falzon is Senior Fellow, Inequality and Social Justice at Per Capita. He is also a sociologist, poet, and social justice advocate, and was national CEO of the St Vincent de Paul Society from 2006 to 2018. John's current work focuses on social security reform, housing and homelessness, workers’ rights, and rebuilding the concept of the common good acr

From Davos to Capitol Hill, there’s been a lot of talk recently about the mega-rich and whether they are paying their fair share in society. But are high taxes the best way to address disparity between billionaires and the rest of society? Our panel this week – Robert Breunig, Ida Kubiszewski, and Sharon Bessell – take a look at the roles and responsibilities of government and billionaires, tax systems and tax havens, and the impact of income inequality on both society and individuals. You’ll also hear from our presenters Bob Cotton, Julia Ahrens, and Martyn Pearce, who have a look at election campaigning in Australia, Royal Commissions, and the survey this week that revealed the high level of violence against school principals. They also discuss some of the comments, questions and suggestions our listeners have left us online. This week’s panel consists of: Robert Breunig is a Professor at Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, and is also the director of the Tax and Transfer Polic

On Policy Forum Pod this week, we talk about refugees and asylum seekers policy – both in a global context and in Australia – while also discussing the extreme politicisation of these issues and the consequences that this has brought. From the scale of the global refugee challenge to whether Australia has got its refugee policy settings right, this week, we take a look at refugee and asylum seeker policies. The panel tackle offshore processing, the politicisation of refugees, the recent medivac bill, and how all these issues might play out in Australia’s upcoming federal election. Our presenters Sharon Bessell and Martyn Pearce, also take a look at government accountability, as well as social welfare schemes that may have been doing more harm than good. They also take a look at some of your questions and comments. This week’s panel consists of: Bina D’Costa is Senior Fellow/Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations in the Coral Bell School. She is also the school’s Deputy Director of Ed

Does Australia have its policy settings right when it comes to regulating drugs? Is it time to change direction and find a way to decriminalise or even legalise certain types of drugs? On this week’s Policy Forum Pod, we’re joined by three experts to take a look at the world’s ‘war against drugs’, the crucial difference between harm minimisation and harm reduction, and the example that Portugal has set for other countries in drug policy. The presenters, Sara Bice, Jill Sheppard, and Martyn Pearce, also discuss some key policy issues from the last week including the ‘medevac’ policy for asylum seekers that was passed in Australia’s Lower House, Trump’s 2019 State of the Union Address, and after European Council President Donald Tusk’s comments about there being a “special place in hell” for the architects of Brexit, we find out what policies the presenters would like to put in that special place alongside them. This episode brings together three experts on drug policy in Australia: John Coyne is the Head of th