Policy Forum Pod

The latest federal budget defines our values but does it live up to them? Australian historian, Professor Frank Bongiorno, joins us to discuss the limitations, merits and shift of focus in the second Albanese government budget.Professor Bongiorno explores the values-based approach to governing and the delicate balancing act between providing Australians with the care and support they deserve whilst creating sustainable change.Despite the budget’s emphasis on delivering for the most vulnerable Australians, critics note that there is much to be desired. On the one hand, the budget increased support for Medicare, single parents, and some relief with energy bills. But on the other hand, the jobseeker rate remains well below the poverty line. “The pressure will remain for a government that calls itself values-based and values-driven to look at some of these really key areas of policy for those who are marginalised,” says Frank.Frank Bongiorno is a Professor of History at the ANU College of Social Sciences, Preside

Two-thirds of Australians experience one or more forms of abuse or neglect as children. Daryl Higgins, a co-author of a new ground-breaking study into child maltreatment, joins us to discuss the findings, and what needs to be done to stop the cycle of abuse.  WARNING: This episode discusses child abuse, sexual assault and suicide. The Australian Child Maltreatment Study published in The Medical Journal of Australia is the first national survey in the world to examine in detail the experiences of all forms of child maltreatment and the associated health and social consequences. To prevent children from suffering further, Higgins says there needs to be a focus on redefining the health care system as a trauma response service.  It is also vital we do not just concentrate on children, but on the parents too. “Parents themselves will come to this task of parenting having likely experienced their own child maltreatment,” he says. If this podcast has raised some issues for you, or someo

Helen Haines, the Independent Federal Member for Indi, joins us to discuss the unifying power of grassroots democracy and the major challenges Australia is facing in 2023.Dr Haines discusses how kitchen table conversations had with humility and patience can bring people together. She talks about how people in regional Australia are reacting to the Voice Referendum and the power of the Uluru Statement of the Heart.  She outlines what regional and marginalised Australians want to see in the Federal budget based on the conversations had and the poverty so many of Australians are facing. She also discusses what lessons can be learned from her seat of Indi around meaningfully engaging with, and listening, to the people that policies effect. Helen Haines is the Independent federal Member for Indi. She worked as a nurse and midwife for decades before completing her PhD in medical science. She was elected in 2019, as the first Independent to follow an Independent in Australian history.Sharon Bessell is Professor

South Australia's inaugural Commissioner for First Nations Voice Dale Agius joins us to discuss how South Australia’s Voice to Parliament can be used as a template to understand the need for our national referendum. Dale talks about how in his more than 40 public community consultations he is hearing the call from indigenous people to "give us enough autonomy and self-determination in our legislation for our people to feel safe” and to feel they have the ability to talk straight to the parliament.Dale Agius is South Australia's inaugural Commissioner for First Nations Voice. Dale is a Kaurna, Narungga, Ngadjuri and Ngarrindjeri person with connection to communities and Country across South Australia. Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior C

A third of global deaths can be linked to a combination of climate change, the non-communicable disease epidemic, and just four industry sectors: tobacco, ultra-processed food, fossil fuel, and alcohol.Professor Sharon Friel joins hosts Sharon Bessell and Arnagretta Hunter for a challenging conversation about the commercial determinants of health, and what can practicably be done to save and improve lives.We discuss how there is no silver bullet fix, and it would take a multilevel and multi-pronged approach to commercial determinants of health but if it is done right, it could save a third of preventable global deaths. However, the implications are far more wide-reaching than that. If we take into consideration the indirect impact that industries have, from health and health inequities, income inequalities and changes to our lived environment, “well above half of the global burden of disease could be eliminated” Professor Friel states. The challenge is enforcing change across unregulated industries, and on tr

As we move towards the referendum on the Voice later this year, it is important that we think deeply about both our future and our past. We cannot do that unless we talk honestly about a history of dispossession and genocide. These are difficult and painful issues but are essential if we are to have genuine reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. To begin the first of several conversations over the coming months, Sharon and Arnagretta are joined by Professor Kate Auty. Professor Auty is a Vice Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Melbourne and Chair of Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority. She has formerly held appointments as a magistrate in Victoria where she helped establish the Koori Court in Shepparton, and in the goldfields and western desert of Western Australia, establishing Aboriginal sentencing courts in consultation with Aboriginal people. Her latest book is O’Leary of the Underworld: The Untold Story of the Forrest River Massacre.WARNING: Aborigi

Kicking off 2023, we discuss a public service reckoning with the failure of Robodebt, and its path to rebuilding trust. Sharon and Arnagretta sit down with the new Director of the Crawford School of Public Policy, Professor Janine O’Flynn to see where the year will take us.Professor Janine O’Flynn's research interests are in public management, especially reform and relationships. Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy.Dr Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.If this episode raised any concerns for you, in Australia you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPS

On the final episode of Policy Forum Pod for 2022, Katherine Trebeck and Millie Rooney join us to reflect on this year’s big policy issues and consider the opportunities for change that lie before us.What were the policy highlights and lowlights of the year? Where are the opportunities for transformative change in 2023? In the last instalment of Policy Forum Pod for 2022, founder of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Katherine Trebeck and National Coordinator for Australia reMADE Millie Rooney join Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to look back on the year and consider the possibilities and challenges that lie ahead.Katherine Trebeck is a political economist, writer and advocate for economic system change. She co-founded the Wellbeing Economy Alliance and is a writer-in-residence at the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh Futures Institute.Millie Rooney is the National Coordinator for Australia reMADE, an independent, non-profit leadership network where Australian civil society lead

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Siobhan McDonnell and George Carter join us to share their experiences inside the COP27 negotiations in Egypt and why the agreement on a ‘loss and damage’ fund was a landmark moment in global climate change discussions.What does the historic agreement to establish a ‘loss and damage’ fund at this United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt mean for small island developing states, particularly in the Pacific? How can negotiating parties ensure the fund is operationalised by COP28 in Dubai, rather than allowing countries to stall - as has been seen with previous initiatives? And with Australia looking to co-host the 2026 instalment of the conference with Pacific Island nations, what impact would a successful bid have on the region and the Australian public? Dr Siobhan McDonnell and Dr George Carter, who negotiated on behalf of Pacific Island countries at COP27, join Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss the talks and to look ahead to the

Valerie Cooms from The Australian National University joins us on this episode to discuss justice reinvestment, the importance of the whole Australian community embracing First Nations languages, and progress towards a constitutionally-enshrined Voice to Parliament.Is the allocation of $81.5 million for justice reinvestment initiatives in the recent federal budget a step in the right direction when it comes to reducing the high rates of incarceration of First Nations peoples? And why is truth-telling about Australia’s colonial history so important for reconciliation? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Director of ANU Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research Professor Valerie Cooms joins Professor Sharon Bessell to examine the First Nations justice measures in the recent federal budget and the need for bravery from policymakers to ensure Australia achieves genuine reconciliation.Valerie Cooms is Director and Professor of Indigenous Policy at ANU Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research.Sharon Bes

In the final instalment in our series on housing, Executive Director of Anglicare Australia Kasy Chambers joins us to discuss the dire state of housing affordability and how policymakers can turn things around.Housing affordability, particularly in Australia’s private rental market, is an issue of major concern for people on low incomes. According to Anglicare’s annual Rental Affordability Snapshot, less than 10 rentals across the entire country were affordable for a single person looking for work on the JobSeeker payment on a weekend in March 2022. So what can policymakers do to turn this crisis around? What impact does the current policy framework, which incentivises wealth generation over welfare in the housing market, have on affordability? And will the government’s new National Housing Accord make a difference? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Executive Director of Anglicare Australia Kasy Chambers joins Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss how to improve housing affordability

Joel Dignam from Better Renting and Farzana Choudhury from Canberra Community Law join us to discuss housing accessibility and justice on this episode of Policy Forum Pod. How do poor housing conditions affect people’s health and wellbeing, particularly in the context of a cost-of-living crisis? How can policymakers ensure all Australians have access to safe, affordable, and healthy homes? And what role could anti-discrimination laws play in protecting people who might be experiencing homelessness or poverty? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, solicitor at Canberra Community Law, Farzana Choudhury, and Executive Director of Better Renting, Joel Dignam, join Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss how to improve housing accessibility.Farzana Choudhury is a community lawyer and human rights advocate, specialising in poverty, homelessness and disability rights. She is Supervising Solicitor (Disability Law) at Canberra Community Law and President of the ACT Law Society.Joel Dignam is t

To kick off a new bundle of episodes on housing, we discuss the impact of climate change on planning and housing policy with Barbara Norman, Emeritus Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Canberra.As the global population heads towards at least nine billion and pressure on the natural environment increases, how must policymakers adapt their plans for housing and the built environment? Do Australian governments need to introduce stricter regulations around where development can take place as the climate continues to change? And what lessons can Australian cities and towns learn from climate-sensitive planning decisions made abroad? On this episode, Emeritus Professor Barbara Norman from the University of Canberra joins Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to launch our new mini-series on housing policy.Barbara Norman is Emeritus Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Canberra and author of the new book, Urban Planning for Climate Change.Sharon Bessell

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, John Falzon joins Sharon Bessell and Arnagretta to examine the new Australian government’s first budget and what it means for equity and wellbeing.What does the new government’s budget mean for the millions of Australians living below the poverty line? Does the government have the political will to build a new architecture of fairness? And how could a wellbeing economic framework support all Australians? Senior Fellow, Inequality and Social Justice at Per Capita, Dr John Falzon OAM, joins Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss what this federal budget does, what it doesn’t do, and what it signals for the future.John Falzon OAM is Senior Fellow, Inequality and Social Justice at Per Capita.Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy.Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, higher education and public policy leaders Helen Sullivan and Janine O'Flynn join us to discuss Australia’s higher education system and how universities can change to better foster fearless future leadership. What role do universities play in our contemporary, globalised world? How can universities advance equity and diversity among students and staff? And how can we create a more sustainable and equitable higher education system for the whole university community? Dean of the College of Asia and the Pacific at The Australian National University Professor Helen Sullivan and Incoming School Director of Crawford School of Public Policy Professor Janine O’Flynn join Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to reimagine the future of Australian universities. Helen Sullivan is Dean of the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific. She has published widely on public policy, and public governance.Janine O’Flynn is Director of Education, Melbourne School of Government

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, we speak to former teacher Alice Garner and award-winning author and educator Pasi Sahlberg about transforming the teaching profession in Australia.What needs to change so that teaching is a respected, valued profession in Australia - on par with medicine and law? How can policymakers better support teachers to do the critical work of educating children? And how can schools encourage more play and creativity in the classroom? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter are joined by researcher and former ‘career change’ teacher, Dr Alice Garner, and Finnish education expert based at Southern Cross University, Professor Pasi Sahlberg.Pasi Sahlberg is Finnish educator, teacher, author, and Professor of Education at Southern Cross University.Alice Garner is a historian, writer, performer, and a former French and humanities teacher in the Victorian secondary school system. She has published in social, environmental and educational his

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, education experts Kitty te Riele and Jennifer Skattebol join us to discuss how the education system can ensure all children have access to high quality education.How can policymakers ensure students with challenging behaviours and their teachers are receiving enough care and support in the classroom? What role should alternative schools play in the education system? And should suspensions and expulsions be used as a way to manage student behaviour, or do these strategies do more harm than good? Deputy Director of the University of Tasmania’s Peter Underwood Centre for Educational Attainment Professor Kitty te Riele and Dr Jennifer Skattebol from the University of New South Wales join Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss creating an inclusive, equitable, and supportive education system for all Australian children and young people.Kitty te Riele is Deputy Director (Research) and Professor at the University of Tasmania's Peter Underwood Centre for Educ

To kick off our new series of episodes on education, Deborah Brennan and Leonora Risse join us to discuss how to create a world-class childcare and early education system.How could the Australian government provide universal childcare, making it available and affordable for all? What can the country do for the early education and care workforce to ensure they receive fair pay and recognition that goes beyond platitudes? And how can policymakers engage with children to put their needs at the centre of policy reform? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Professor Deborah Brennan from the University of New South Wales’ Social Policy Research Centre and economist Dr Leonora Risse from RMIT University join Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss Australia’s early education and care sector.Deborah Brennan is a Professor at the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New South Wales. Deborah is a member of the US Studies Centre's International Academic Advisory Committee and a leading

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, political economist Katherine Trebeck and author and advocate Tim Hollo join us to discuss reshaping political and economic systems that help us to better care for ourselves, each other, and the planet. To deal with the major challenges that society faces, will small policy adjustments shift the status quo, or is deep systemic change necessary? How can policymakers ensure that wellbeing is at the heart of government decision-making? And how can democracies better involve their citizens in the project of building a common future? Co-founder of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Katherine Trebeck and Executive Director of the Green Institute Tim Hollo join Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss living democracy and wellbeing economics. Katherine Trebeck is New Economics Senior Fellow at the ZOE Institute, a Fellow of The Leaders Institute, a Distinguished Fellow of the Schumacher Institute, and co-founder of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance, which works to amplify the work of o

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, we discuss how ‘low-value’ health care is causing harm to patients and what policymakers can do to address it.How can policymakers and health professionals reduce ‘low-value care’, improve outcomes for patients, and address the health system’s carbon footprint? What is the impact of waste and inefficiency on the wellbeing of healthcare workers? And how can the policy debate be reframed so that patients - and meaningful relationships - are at the centre of health care? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Professor Rachelle Buchbinder AO from Monash University and Kylie Woolcock, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, join Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss low-value care and transforming the health system.Rachelle Buchbinder AO is a rheumatologist, a clinical epidemiologist, and Professor in the Monash University Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine.Kylie Woolcock is Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Healthcare an