Carbon Economy

The implementation of The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), formerly known as The Carbon Emissions Trading Scheme, is going to be the biggest shake up in Australian taxation and compliance since the GST was introduced.

There is great emphasis placed on the need for our response to climate change to be "economically responsible".  Is success possible without a bit of pain? How much are we, as individuals and as a nation, prepared to sacrifice to reduce carbon emissions?

Exciting Careers in IT

On 25 November 2008, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Faculty of Engineering and Information, Industry Advisory Network supported by the Australian Computer Society (ACS) Foundation and ACS NSW held a breakfast forum where members of the industry got together with students, academics and other key stakeholders to discuss the ICT skills shortage.

"I.T. is exciting! Why don't young people know that?" That was the question on the day, and that will be the subject of a report being prepared for release in 2009.

Following the lively and articulate debate on the day, ACS Foundation and Open Forum decided to co-host this online forum

EXCITING CAREERS IN I.T.

until January 31, 2009, to provide you with an extended opportunity to collaborate by contributing your ideas, thoughts, comments or suggestions to be included in the report.

Childcare in Crisis

Submissions are now open for the Senate Inquiry into the Provision of Childcare in Australia (until Friday, 30 January 2009).

To coincide with this, our featured forum of the month for January is "Childcare in Crisis".

In contemporary Australia, is childcare a choice or an essential service? What level of qualifications should we expect from childcare workers? Is it possible to provide top quality childcare within the commercial model? How did YOU decide where to send your kids? Has your childcare situation been directly affected and how have you managed? Are you a childcare professional or a childcare volunteer? We'd love to hear from you, whether you work in family daycare, community based childcare, or a for-profit centre, or simply look after your own grandchildren at home.

There's only a short window of time to get submissions into the Senate Inquiry – so do it today.

Open Forum will compile all your contributions and submit them to the Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee.
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Travel Tales & Tips

There's nothing like a tough year to make us feel like we deserve a break. At last, the sun is shining and the holiday season is upon us. Sadly, nothing puts a damper on holiday plans quite like a massive global financial crisis. Do you think people are afraid taking holidays will affect their job security?

Household budgets are tight, flights are being cancelled, travel warnings are being issued; no wonder the holiday industry is reporting a downturn. They're scrambling for our business. Where are the best bargains to be had?

The dollar's a worry, but domestic air travel has never been so affordable; it's a big country. How much of Australia have you seen?

Moving outside one's comfort zone; grappling with another language, getting lost, making new friends and a few minor disasters are all the stuff memories are made of. What's the most important life lesson you've learnt along your travels?

Talk Openly: Indigenous e-Health Forum with special guest the Hon. Tony Abbott MHR

SPECIAL EVENT: Monday, 24 – Friday, 28 November 2008

The Hon. Tony Abbott MHR, Federal Shadow Minister for Shadow Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, is our guest blogger in an interactive discussion forum on the potential benefits of e-Health practices for Australia's remote Indigenous communities.

Amongst many sectors of Australia's healthcare system, the failure to embrace new e-Health methods can be largely attributed to an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality.

Where the system is working, that's hard to argue with. However, where the system is broken, looks like a smart place for government investment in e-Health infrastructure.

It's a national disgrace that Indigenous Australians have double the infant mortality rates, and a 17 year gap in life expectancy from the rest of the population. These figures are key indicators of widespread inequalities in health standards that reduce quality of life, such as higher incidences of diabetes, renal failure, cataracts and hearing loss. The statistics are even worse for Northern Territorians.

e-Health

Since 1990s we have been talking about an emerging new digital era which will see an integrated electronic health records system revolutionise patient care. It is already yesterday's news, the technology is available, yet we are still talking about it – so why isn't there a national e-Health database?

There has been much discussion, but the conversation is often confusing. It appears there are still gaps in the solutions, or the questions being asked are inadequate, incomplete or misdirected. We want to figure out what is the e-health debate really all about.

• If the technology already exists, why aren't we using it?
• What should the healthcare sector learn from other industries which are functioning successfully online?
• Are the State and Federal governments capable of sufficient cooperation to coordinate a national e-health system?
• Who will have to lead the e-health revolution – government or business?  
• Which patients could benefit the most?

Let us begin by hearing some stories about how e-health works, or doesn't work, in practice. We want to learn about your experiences as providers and users across all aspects of the healthcare system.

Talk Openly: Better Regulation Forum with special guest The Hon. Lindsay Tanner MP

SPECIAL EVENT: Monday 13th – Friday 17th October ’08

The Hon Lindsay Tanner MP, Federal Minister for Finance and Deregulation, is our guest blogger as part of this interactive, online discussion forum on BETTER REGULATION.

Are you an expert or specialist in your field? Do you think you understand the needs of your industry better than the government? Are you tired of dealing with archaic laws that are no longer relevant? Or, are you working with emerging technologies which the law hasn’t understood yet?  Are you an "ordinary" citizen with some extraordinary ideas for better regulation?

Then this is your chance to get directly in the Minister for Deregulation’s ear! 

We talk a lot about the need for politicians to "stay in touch".  Minister Tanner has expressed a desire not just to talk, but to listen and reply to your ideas. 

Australian Housing Affordability & Shortage

The vast majority of Australians are spending a considerable portion of their income on mortgage repayments or rent, and the squeeze is getting tighter.

Access to decent, safe and affordable housing is recognised internationally as a basic human right, but we expect a lot more from our homes than mere shelter.

Let's discuss how we can ensure Australia has an ample, adequate and affordable supply of housing now and for the future.

Should our taxation system be reviewed to help home buyers enter the market? How can the Government make it more accessible for lower or single income earners?  What are the most successful low-income housing initiatives and can Australia learn anything from similar initiatives in other countries? How do our cultural standards for housing influence our choices and will we ever be satisfied?

Whether you are in the field of building and construction, planning and infrastructure, lending and finance, housing assistance, property sales and management, or have learnt something through your personal experience in the housing market, please share your insights with the rest of us.

Regulation as a Business Opportunity

Regulation in Australia remains one of the most persistent battlegrounds between business and governments in trying to reduce the regulatory constraints on business performance. As industries struggle to comply with the increasing amount of red tape, many see regulation as a threat that reduces profitability, discourages investment and damages competitiveness.

A modern, complex society, however, cannot exist without an effective regulatory system. A smart and proactive position towards regulation can help businesses engage with government and move the regulatory debate in a direction which would be more beneficial to their own operations. Rather than struggling against new legislation, businesses should be looking for opportunities to use it to their advantage.

This month on Open Forum we are looking at Regulation as a Business Opportunity and Driver of Innovation. Which sectors of our economy would most benefit from an improved legislation framework? How serious is the Australian Government about regulatory reforms? What can your organisation contribute to the debate? What would an open and transparent regulatory system look like?

If compliance is part of your everyday life, share your experience with us. Your participation in a constructive dialogue between industry, government and the citizenry may make the difference between reforms which are an opportunity rather than a curse.

Workplace Flexibility

Implementing flexibility is a challenge and may require some "hand-holding", especially for managers who have not gone through their own flexibility experience.

Flexibility – just do it! That’s the message I hear from the "converted".  As though managing a flexible workforce were the easiest thing to do, and not the challenge that it is. 

A little acknowledgement that flexible work practices require a new way of thinking about work, and some assistance with making practical changes, would go a long way. 

Education and Skills

With the university enrollments in crucial areas like maths and science falling over the last decade, the ‘baby boomers' about to retire and trade skills running at an all time premium, there no time like the present to get our heads together in an attempt to figure out what needs to be done to solve the skills shortage facing Australia.

Is education the answer, and if so, who's going to provide it? What skills do we really need to carry us through the 21st Century? Will PCs in schools really prepare our kids for the future workforce? What is the Government's ‘education revolution' all about anyway? What role should industry play in ensuring they have access to the skills base they need to grow?

All this and more – thanks to your contributions! Whatever your interests, log in and blog on Education and Skills, as we tackle these issues together throughout August.

Environmental Capitalism

In many ways July 2008 represents turning point for the Australian economy. With the imminent release of the Garnaut Climate Change Review Draft Report on Friday 4 July, the introduction of carbon trading, Minister for Climate Change and Water Penny Wong promising action on the crisis in the Murray-Darling basin, July 2008 will go down in history as the month when we really began doing things differently.

 

Environmental capitalism will affect the way we travel, the way we generate and use energy, the way we produce food and use water, it will affect the way we do business and the way we have fun, ultimately it will effect every aspect of our lives – but how? 

This month on Open Forum we're trying to answer these questions, and we're inviting your comments and feedback on how we go about making an effective and efficient transition into this new way of operating. Let's share our thoughts and work it out together.