It is absolutely essential that society inquiries into the fate of Australia’s war veterans. There are many reasons for our failure to rehabilitate veterans successfully, but unless we confront the nature of military activity, such investigations will remain superficial. There are several problems about repatriation and rehabilitation of military personnel. The first is that Australia Continue reading »
Health
Everyone who has suffered abuse as a child deserves the opportunity to live free of its detrimental effects. Abuse affects the brain just as it affects the body. And just as bodies can heal, so can brains. Developmental trauma happening to children and youth while they are still growing, causes structural changes in the brain Continue reading »
Consultant David Oliver explains how the pressures and demands on his younger colleagues have led to an overwhelming vote to strike this spring
Ganderbal, India – The sun has just come out on a grey wintery afternoon and the snow-clad peaks of Harmukh are shining in the distance, casting sharp reflections over the horizon. When some rays fall on Rahila’s* face, sitting on the verandah of her home, she turns around and giggles. “It is too bright!” Winter Continue reading »
In 2007, at age forty-four, I stood as a Senate candidate for Victoria in the federal election. In 2011, I moved into a shared support accommodation facility, where I suffered a severe loss of choice and control. Disability can be progressive. Supportive regimes for those subjected to physiological deterioration need to be progressive too. They Continue reading »
“Lifters” and “leaners”; “makers” vs “takers”; “strivers” and the “skivers”. The language may be different but the pejorative sentiment around the welfare state is similar, be it in Australia, the United States or the United Kingdom. However, it is highly misleading. Government payments to people who are unemployed are a fraction of the spending on Continue reading »
On the 28th November 2023 the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2022 (NSW) (the NSW VAD Act) will come into force. NSW Health, has a massive program of work to develop a coherent transition to the new system. As the last State to introduce legislation (absent the Territories) information is already available through published papers in Continue reading »
This article discusses suicide. It was 10 years ago that then Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Morrison AO gave his famous speech in support of service women, (written mostly by Catherine McGregor AM). Around this time, there were five concurrent inquiries into Defence culture, including the prominent Broderick Report on the treatment of women. All of this led to Continue reading »
The release of the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce report has re-ignited discussions about reform of Australia’s primary healthcare system. The report and options for reform were discussed on the 8 February at the National Press Club in Canberra where health economist Dr Stephen Duckett appeared on a panel with Dr Kerrie Aust GP AMA President ACT and Dr Continue reading »
by Gregory M. Mikkelson
Several years ago, some university students invited me to debate a hard-core mainstream economics professor on the topic of divestment from fossil fuel. Sadly but predictably, the economist lauded the fossil fuel industry for its role in boosting economic growth. At one point, he cited India as an example of how wonderful such growth is for people.
The moderator, from India himself, felt compelled to step in,
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