Baird’s early exit means NSW loses a leader whose best years were yet to come

On Thursday NSW Premier Mike Baird has announced his resignation from politics. Gregory Melleuish, Professor at the University of Wollongong, has the details.

Australian post-school education in the age of Trump

There are very few guideposts for what the Trump Administration will do in higher education. Don Perlgut, CEO of Community Colleges Australia, looks at the Australian VET sector.

Guess who got a cattle station for Christmas

The Australian government has recently approved a bid from mining magnate Gina Rinehart and a Chinese partner to buy the cattle empire S. Kidman & Co. Max Thomas voices his concerns.

What’s in store for Australian political parties in 2017?

Angry and disaffected voters will increasingly be a challenge for the Turnbull Government this year. Political expert Dominic O’Sullivan talks us through the opportunities and potential pitfalls for our political parties.

Looking back on 2016

An eventful year is coming to an end. Thank you for your blogs, your comments and your support. Here’s an overview of our discussion topics and the most popular blogs written this year.

How democratic are we?

So long as the electoral system remains unchanged, we are condemned to an eternal alternation in power between Labor and the Coalition. That is not a democracy, it is a duopoly, as Bede Harris points out. So what is to be done?

GAP – Year in Review 2016

The end of the year is a time to reflect and gives us an opportunity to share with you how the GAP process has delivered to its members and to society as a whole.

NSW Out of Home Care Reform – A game changer?

New South Wales Premier Mike Baird has revealed a sweeping overhaul of the state's child protection system. Dr Kirsty Nowlan from the Benevolent Society wants to see that the policy delivers the protection all children should receive as their birth right.

American Millennial: The 2016 Presidential Election, or the day the bubble I live in was shattered

Our very own intern Alex Guzmán, an American currently studying in Australia, has written about her reaction to Donald Trump becoming President of the United States of America.

Improving Australia’s public health procurement

A new report from Global Access Partners says there is significant scope for improvements and savings in Australia’s public health procurement; a more rational tendering process is required. Catherine Fritz-Kalish, Co-Founder and Managing Director of GAP, explains why these improvements haven’t occurred in the past. 

The rise of Trump has lessons for Australia

Australia must act to address inequality, recommit to inclusion and hear citizen voice if it is to avoid a populist revolt on the scale of Brexit or the rise of Trump, argues Craig Wallace.

Inequality in the spotlight

Could wealth and income inequality be the reason for current volatile political situations in many countries, the ascendancy of maverick political figures and the fracturing of Australia’s political system? Dr. Veronica Sheen makes a compelling case based on French economist Piketty’s ideas.