Space, a uniquely Australian opportunity

Martin Duursma, a partner at Main Sequence Ventures (The CSIRO Innovation Fund) suggests that 2018 will be the year that the Australian space ecosystem kicks into high gear.

GAP in 2017 – a year in review

2017 has been a year of celebration for Global Access Partners. Managing Director Catherine Fritz-Kalish reviews a GAP year filled with achievement.

Manus Island – a firsthand account of a humanitarian crisis

A recent trip to Manus Island left Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s Jana Favero deeply shocked and confirmed the humanitarian crisis that has developed from Australia’s asylum seeker policies. She shares her experience with Open Forum and calls for an end to partisan politics on this issue.

Questioning the NDIS

The NDIS will only support around 400,000 people with disability, yet there are 3.96 million people with disability in Australia. Diana Palmer from IDEAS questions what will happen to those remaining – especially when they no longer have access to information about the services they need?

Adoption – growing concerns

The number of children in Out of Home Care grows considerably each year yet the number of domestic adoptions taking place remains stagnant. Currently navigating the process to first-time parenthood is Melissa Tinggee, who shares her comments for Adoption Awareness Month.

The rise of extremism

We are now in one of the most difficult and dangerous political periods for fifty years. The founding father of community cohesion Professor Ted Cantle CBE outlines the struggle facing mainstream political views.

Agriculture beyond the farm gate

As we celebrate Australian agriculture today #AgDay, Director of the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Professor Michael Friend writes about the value of the sector beyond the farm gate and the important role of research across the value chain.

Australians with disability deserve equal access to information and advocacy

With the onset of the NDIS the NSW Government have announced funding cuts to disability information services, due to begin in 2018. Diana Palmer, Executive Officer at IDEAS, an information provider for Australian’s explains why these services are crucial for those living with a disability.

The great obfuscation: Australia votes YES whilst bigotry is rebranded as “freedom of speech”

Today the Marriage Survey was returned in favour of change. Social commentator Tenley Gillmore considers what to expect, particularly from conservative stakeholders, over the coming weeks.

Replacing Federation: Why and with what?

Is it time to move on from federation? Constitutional expert Klaas Woldring argues that there are 3 major reasons to update the order and suggests a more productive model of government would be a two-tier system.

Housing Affordability Online Consultation Report Released

The report from the recent Housing Affordability Online Consultation, hosted by Open Forum, and run in conjunction with Global Access Partners and the NSW Department of Planning and the Environment, has now been released.

Victorian school students to join government boards

From 2018 it will become mandatory for student representatives to be elected to Victorian Government school councils (boards) and given full voting rights. Founder of the Australian Leadership blog, Victor Perton discusses the initiative.