James Arvanitakis argues that education vouchers would result in a stratified school system, more focused on marketing to parents than providing quality education to students. Rather than answering the problems caused by partial commercialisation with more of the same, he says we should consider education as a commons. Governments should not only fund education properly, but also encourage and facilitate our contribution to the education commons – a resource which nobody owns but from which everybody benefits. more
Monthly Archives:: April 2006
Submission to the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA)
Submission to the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA) In response to MEETING THE DIGITAL CHALLENGE Reforming Australia’s media in the digital age DISCUSSION PAPER ON MEDIA REFORM OPTIONS By Emma Dawson Media Policy Coordinator New Matilda (www.newmatilda.com) The introduction and development of digital technology It is the belief of the New Matilda media policy coordinator, and … more
New Matilda submission to DCITA
The New Matilda Media Convenor Emma Dawson responded to Meeting the digital challenge, Minister Helen Coonan’s discussion paper on media reform, in a submission to the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts last week. The submission presents the New Matilda view that the reforms proposed in the discussion paper do not go nearly far enough towards advancing Australia’s … more
Citizens’ juries in health. Please say Yes, Minister
Gavin Mooney rejects the Federal Health Minister’s concern that citizens’ juries subcontract out political decision-making processes. Mooney clarifies that citizens’ juries recommend the principles that should underpin health services. Others, such as the Minister, still make the decisions. This assists rather than undermines political decision making. Mooney calls for $1 million to fund 20 juries around the country which would then be followed by a national summit on the results.
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Australia-US Alliance Series: Week 3
In the third week of this series, Joe Siracusa argues that because of our location in the world we are only going to be come more not less important to the United States. Bob McMullan MP believes that we need to be more active locally and that trade poses a risk to the relationship. Ray Funnell believes that we do not need a formal alliance because we are natural ally of the United States. more
Tradable Car Permits — One Way to Tackle Congestion in Our Cities
Roads in Australia's major cities are becoming increasingly congested. The latest ABS data shows that between 2001 and 2005, the number of registered motor vehicles grew by 17 per cent in Queensland, 12 per cent in New South Wales and 10 per cent in Victoria. This growth in motor vehicles in starting to cost us, with a report by the Centre for International Economics showing that in Sydney, reliance on motor cars is costing $18 billion per year in congestion, accidents and air pollution.
‘Privacy is dead — get over it’
Peter Timmins considers whether this pronouncement is true in the age of the internet. He disagrees and believes that a balance can and should be struck. Pointing out inadequacies in State and Federal privacy laws he calls for a comprehensive privacy framework to administer this balance
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Australia-US Alliance Series: Week 2
In the second week of the Alliance series, Rawdon Dalrymple argues that any government that showed indifference to the alliance would be punished at the ballot box and that Washington now understands the dimension that engagement with Asia brings to the alliance. Peter Gration worries about the obsequiousness that has come to define the relationship between Bush and Howard and recommends a set of truths we should always remember. Garry Woodard tries to demystify the alliance by focusing on the realities surrounding China and Iraq more
Re-imagining economic reform
Nicholas Gruen argues that with a little imagination economic reform can escape from its current formulaic straightjacket and in so doing not only make us richer but directly improve the quality of our lives. Gruen argues there are plenty of agendas to build on that have barely been looked at and provides a range of examples including: improving information flows; exploring governments’ role in managing financial risks; bringing legal costs in line with the damages at risk; creating socially beneficial defaults in savings and taxation; and tailoring regulatory regimes to fit specific social purposes.
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