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Open Forum is an independent collaborative think-tank built around an interactive discussion website hosted and moderated by Global Access Partners (GAP). It provides a platform for focused dialogue on social, political, economic, ecological and cultural issues and challenges.

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Cost of Red Tape Online Consultation launched


Cost of Red Tape Online Consultation launchedTo identify avoidable red tape and unnecessary regulation, public policy think-tank Global Access Partners (GAP) in conjunction with its First 5000 business network, is hosting the Cost of Red Tape online consultation at openforum.com.au/redtape. The consultation will feed into the Coalition Deregulation Taskforce which was formed in December 2011 by the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Tony Abbott MHR. Chaired by Senator Arthur Sinodinos AO, the Taskforce is exploring how to reduce the costs and burden of regulation to business. The Cost of Red Tape online consultation is open to small and medium businesses. Larger organisations and key stakeholder bodies are also invited to contribute.


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Strata Laws consultation report released


Strata laws report releasedNSW Fair Trading Minister Anthony Roberts has welcomed the release of the Global Access Partners' (GAP) Strata Laws Online Consultation Report. Hosted on the Open Forum website for 11 weeks from 15 December to 29 February 2012, the consultation saw 1230 individual comments on four key questions and 25 blogs. Overall, almost 600 suggestions for procedural change or law reform were put forward by participants. The most cited issues concerned the procedures and standards of governance in strata, antisocial behaviour, pets, smoking and parking.


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Convergence Review report released


Convergence ReviewThe federal government has released the Convergence Review Final Report, which sets out a vision for fundamental change to the regulatory framework of Australia's digital economy, and identifies key areas for reform. The Convergence Review committee, led by former IBM Australia boss Glenn Boreham, has recommended scrapping the existing watchdogs in favour of a cross-platform super regulator and an industry-run standards body. The review was part of the terms of reference provided to the Convergence Review, whose final report this week focused mainly on media ownership and content regulation.


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Blog of the Day

Simon Crouchs picture

Does it matter if our parents are gay or straight?


posted by Simon Crouch, May 17, 2012

On ABC TV’s Q&A this week Senator Penny Wong was asked to justify her same-sex family. Dr Simon Crouch looks into that issue with a world-first study into the overall health and wellbeing of children of same-sex attracted parents.

Doctors for the Family have grabbed headlines this week. Promoting their submission to the Senate Inquiry into Marriage Equality they emphasise their opinion that “the evidence is clear that children who grow up in a family with a mother and a father do better in all parameters than children without.”

This is a view that lacks substance and in and of itself perpetuates a discriminatory attitude that is all too common and potentially damaging. Beyondblue, the national depression initiative, understands this and only last week launched a campaign to combat some of this discrimination, which sees around 30 per cent of Australians holding negative attitudes towards same-sex attracted people.

In fact, contrary to the commonly promulgated view that same-sex attracted parents are harming their children the limited international research suggests that in general children with same-sex attracted parents are doing pretty well. Unfortunately this work has to date been mostly limited to families with lesbian parents, has only considered aspects of mental and social wellbeing, and has had relatively few participants. It is time to capture the complete health and wellbeing of all children with same-sex attracted parents in the Australian context and to truly understand what impact that stigma and discrimination has on these families.

The Australian Study of Child Health in Same-Sex Families will for the first time determine the complete physical, mental and social wellbeing of children with same-sex attracted parents and give a voice to these children so that they have the opportunity describe their experiences in their own words.


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Featured Forum

A Sustainable Future


The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2012 the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.

In doing so it recognises that access to modern affordable energy services in developing countries is essential for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals.  The United Nations believes sustainable development helps to reduce poverty and to improve the conditions and standard of living for the majority of the world’s population.

But sustainability is about more than green energy for everyone.  It also has economic and social dimensions that encompass the concept of stewardship. Sustainable living meets the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs, and, that’s no small ask.

This month Open Forum will look at the global movement towards sustainability, which continues to dominate headlines and political agendas. Nobody builds a new office block or launches a new product these days without thinking about sustainability. With that comes a growing demand for ‘skills for sustainability’, as well as the need for public education and renewed infrastructure.

We will explore the ways individuals, organisations, politicians and societies are addressing the issue of sustainability around the world – from renewable energy to populations, economics, housing and food production.

For further details or to discuss your blog ideas, please contact Lynne at lhughes@openforum.com.au.


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A Sustainable Future forum
 

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