A ‘boring’ Budget?

The Budget’s main goal was to position the Government for re-election. Dominic O’Sullivan says the importance of balancing the Budget raises deeply philosophical questions that are insufficiently ‘boring’ to provide political safety.

A better way for the government to stimulate the economy

Are the measures in the Budget the best way to make progress on the structural issues Australia is facing? Ian McAuley and Miriam Lyons suggest a more assured way to revitalise the economy.

A Vision for Australia’s indigenous peoples

Tony Abbott once said he hoped to be Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs. For GAP’s 'A Vision for Australia’ project, Dominic O’Sullivan explains why differentiated citizenship for indigenous peoples is the basis for meaningful political inclusion.

Cuts to aid funding in the Budget 2015 unfair and short-sighted

The Government announced severe cuts to Australia’s aid funding in the Budget 2015. Dr Kylie Bourne explains why lifting people in our region out of poverty is in our own interest.

Working families benefit from reform of early childhood education

The Federal Government has released a new childcare package on the weekend. Samantha Page, CEO of Early Childhood Australia, welcomes the reform but voices some concerns.

Australian Privacy Commissioner decides that most metadata is personal information

In a groundbreaking decision, and following a worldwide trend, journalist Ben Grubb just won a legal battle with Telstra for access to his metadata. Malcolm Crompton has some background information.

My vision for Australia – a Fair Go for all

Do we need constitutional change? Max Thomas says the existing arrangements that served us well in the past are not well suited to our position in the contemporary world.

How can we rebuild the community’s trust in political processes?

The issues in Australian politics today are too complex to tackle with simple yes/no or Coalition/Labor answers. Manuela Epstein from the newDemocracy Foundation says the way forward is to involve citizens as active partners with the Government at the core of decision making processes.

A ‘blatant attack’ on the government or a voice for abused children?

Australia’s system of mandatory immigration detention keeps getting damning reviews while the Abbott Government keeps using dismissive rhetoric. Nicole Cooper says all this government should be concerned about is the right of the children detained, not political pandering.

Personal information is more than you think!

A UK court recently ruled on what constitutes personal information in the landmark case Google v. Vidal-Hall. Malcolm Crompton says why this might be the most important Court judgment on privacy in years.

Indigenous ‘lifestyle choices’ and the LNP’s paternalism

Tony Abbott recently described living in remote Indigenous communities as a lifestyle choice. Jordan Ayres says Australian social policy under the Liberal Party continues its paternalistic approach to the difficulties rural communities are facing.

The need to design social policy for climate change refugees

So far the Australian government doesn’t seem to regard climate change as a primary issue. Elisabeth Stafford says we need a national conversation to pressure the Australian government into action to create social policy on a variety of climate change fronts.