Page 538 – Openforum https://www.openforum.com.au Open Forum offers an independent platform for Australian debate Wed, 27 Mar 2024 21:57:31 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.25 Walking the walk on values with China https://www.openforum.com.au/walking-the-walk-on-values-with-china/ Sun, 03 Jun 2018 00:02:11 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=14727 As long as the Australian government claims to be ‘a determined advocate of liberal institutions, universal values and human rights’, as it did in its recent 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper, there should be some evidence that we’re prepared to confront China's ever more draconian censorship.

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To each their own ‘Indo-Pacific’ https://www.openforum.com.au/to-each-their-own-indo-pacific/ Sat, 02 Jun 2018 01:22:42 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=14671 The concept of the 'Indo-Pacific' is a framing device, not a geographical reality. Its proponents shape what they mean by the term around their different interests and so, far from talking about the same thing, each country has its own ‘Indo-Pacific’.

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The future is fenced for Australian animals https://www.openforum.com.au/the-future-is-fenced-for-australian-animals/ Sat, 02 Jun 2018 01:22:34 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=14714 Around the world, from New Zealand to Hawaii to South Africa, fences protect native animals from feral predators. Australia's long fences also offer refuge to species that are long-gone from our national parks and wilderness areas.

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Paying the right price for energy efficient homes https://www.openforum.com.au/paying-the-right-price-for-energy-efficient-homes/ Sat, 02 Jun 2018 01:22:26 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=14719 New research finds that people are willing to pay more for energy efficient housing, strengthening the case for a mandatory national rating system for existing homes.

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Climate change – The fiduciary responsibility of politicians and bureaucrats https://www.openforum.com.au/climate-change-the-fiduciary-responsibility-of-politicians-and-bureaucrats/ Thu, 31 May 2018 21:53:33 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=14709 After three decades of global inaction, none more so than in Australia, human-induced climate change is now an existential risk to humanity. The Federal Parliament must recognise that climate change poses an unprecedented threat to Australia’s future prosperity and requires emergency action.

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What’s it like to be young and from overseas in Australia? https://www.openforum.com.au/whats-it-like-to-be-young-and-from-overseas-in-australia/ Thu, 31 May 2018 21:53:22 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=14705 The first Multicultural Youth Australia Census shows the majority of refugee and migrant young Australians feel strongly that they belong here, despite almost half experiencing some form of discrimination or unfair treatment in the past twelve months.

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Australia’s foreign real estate investment boom looks to be over. Here are five things we learned https://www.openforum.com.au/australias-foreign-real-estate-investment-boom-looks-to-be-over-here-are-five-things-we-learned/ Thu, 31 May 2018 21:53:01 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=14695 Domestic and foreign real estate investment have long been connected to the financial services industries, and the built environment is central to creating and storing surplus capital. Australian cities continue to be heavily influenced by global money despite the recent slowdown in foreign purchases.

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PNG to push out Facebook, taking a sharp turn into cyber censorship https://www.openforum.com.au/png-to-push-out-facebook-taking-a-sharp-turn-into-cyber-censorship/ Thu, 31 May 2018 00:36:22 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=14683 PNG's Communications Minister Sam Basil, a regular Facebook user himself, has announced that PNG will shut down the social media site for a month so that his department can research how the network is being used. Whether or not it actually happens, the announcement bodes ill for the nation.

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Are we preparing to fight the wrong war? https://www.openforum.com.au/are-we-preparing-to-fight-the-wrong-war/ Thu, 31 May 2018 00:36:13 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=14686 Are we preparing to fight the wrong war? That’s the question being asked increasingly frequently by Australian defence planners, especially in the RAAF. What makes some people nervous are a number of emerging disruptive technologies that will have a profound effect on military operations in the very near future.

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New vitamin supplement study finds they may do more harm than good https://www.openforum.com.au/new-vitamin-supplement-study-finds-they-may-do-more-harm-than-good/ Thu, 31 May 2018 00:36:06 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=14674 Most people in Western countries don’t have an optimal diet however a new review suggests that taking supplements as an “insurance policy” against poor dietary habits is ineffective. Indeed, complications or health problems due to nutrient intakes are virtually always due to taking too many supplements, rather than not eating proper food.

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Paid parental leave in the USA and Australia https://www.openforum.com.au/paid-parental-leave-in-the-usa-and-australia/ Wed, 30 May 2018 01:06:49 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=14655 Korea and Japan win hands down when it comes to fathers' parental leave entitlements across OECD nations. Australia is among the worst, and the USA comes last of all, but Australia can learn from the US in terms of 'primary carer' preference.

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A ‘new normal’ in the South China Sea? https://www.openforum.com.au/a-new-normal-in-the-south-china-sea/ Wed, 30 May 2018 01:06:41 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=14661 The United States and China have apparently reached a tacit agreement to avoid outright confrontation in the disputed South China Sea. Relations between ASEAN claimants and between ASEAN and China rest on a similar plateau but long term rapprochement remains a distant prospect.

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