Trump’s stated positions on major international issues, e.g. climate change and the value and importance of multilateral institutions, both political and economic, and on particular issues such as Ukraine, the Middle East and relations with China, give grounds for plenty of concern when compared with Australian interests and policies. Australia is a small country in Continue reading »
Government
The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) welcomes the final report of the Scope of Practice Review, Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce, which outlines robust solutions to overcoming barriers limiting high-value care across settings. Key reforms highlighted in the report will ensure each discipline’s value is recognised, with safeguards for a safe, high-quality health system Continue reading »
The changes to Tertiary Education funding announced by the Prime Minister last weekend, mostly benefit former students. Arguably there are other higher priorities to restore the funding of higher education and remove anomalies in the fees charged. Last week started badly for Albanese with allegations about his Qantas upgrades, which he took too long to Continue reading »
A long line has been drawn between two dots across what looks like a credibility chasm by Barnaby Joyce. But his recent interesting Israel-China comparative analysis implicitly lends robust support to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement directed against Israel. Continue reading »
With only days until the US Presidential election on 5 November and with polls calling the race 50:50. Michael Lester in discussion with Amelia Lester, Deputy Editor, Foreign Policy magazine, Washington DC, discuss what the conduct of the campaign tells us about the health of American democracy and the integrity of its electoral processes and Continue reading »
Private schools have seized on an opportunity provided by an Amendment Bill before the Parliament to attempt to lock-in billions in Commonwealth over-funding for years to come. In a submission to a Senate inquiry on the Bill, Independent Schools Australia (ISA) has proposed that the current cap on Commonwealth funding be replaced by a floor. Continue reading »
On October 11, I attended a vigil for Palestinians in Federation Square, Melbourne. The event did not attract politicians’ censure as it was sufficiently distanced in time from Jewish vigils on 7 October. In the week before 7 October, Labor and Coalition politicians criticised organisers of events to memorialise the slaughter of more than 42,000 Continue reading »
The nation’s public hospital system is sicker than it looks. There are practical, affordable ways to make it better — but not if governments go on doing the same things. Public hospitals all over the country are overcrowded, inefficient, bad for staff and worse for patients. They badly need more space, more staff. But why, Continue reading »
If the upcoming drug summit is anything like its predecessor in 1999 then some invited people will present research results and facts which most policy makers ignore now. It will suggest ways in which laws might be altered beneficially. It might suggest changes to make our approach to drug use more humane and more effective Continue reading »
So Bridget McKenzie thinks Lidia Thorpe’s protest against King Charles raises some “quite tricky constitutional questions”. Yes it does, but not the ones she thinks. When Australians go to the polls for each federal election it is not a top of mind consideration for most that anyone we elect will be prohibited from taking up Continue reading »