“In the final week in Durban a sense of frustration is permeating the COP, where aspirations for a global deal remain high, but expectations swing between mildly hopeful and almost absent.” The 2011 Durban Climate Change Conference is in its final week and its organisers are hopeful of hammering out a deal that finally makes it a legal obligation to … more
Fiona Armstrong
Fiona Armstrong is a contributing author to CPD’s recent publication More Than Luck: Ideas Australia needs now. Fiona’s chapter Shifting from fear to hope calls for a new national narrative to allow us to feel confident in our solutions to combat climate change. Fiona is a public policy analyst and advocate for comprehensive health reform and evidence-based climate policy. She is a co-author of the 2009 Centre for Policy Development Policy Paper Putting Health in Local Hands: Shifting Governance and Funding to Regional Health Organisations. She has a background as a health professional, in health policy, and as a journalist. She has been published on a wide range of issues including health, environment, energy, politics, finance, Indigenous affairs, mental health, aged care, education, workforce, law, and industrial relations. She has a Masters in Politics and Public Policy and has recently been researching climate policy options for Australia. She works with organisations on a range of health and climate policy issues.Articles by Fiona Armstrong:
Fiona Armstrong & Laura Eadie | Innovating For A Prosperous and Secure Future
When it comes to innovation policy, the Gillard government relies heavily on hot air to hide their lightweight commitment to Australia’s long-term future. Back in February, the Prime Minister painted a vision for “a high tech, high skill, clean energy economy that is self-sustaining beyond our reliance on mineral exports”. Yet the 2011-12 federal budget is light on detail about … more
Right climate for action
Fiona Armstrong considers whether the fresh approach to governance and accountability will lead to a new kind of consensus politics – and what this changed environment means for action on the climate. more
Leadership: Missing In Action
Abbott almost sounded like a leader at the Coalition campaign launch. But does his vision extend beyond Australia’s borders, asks Fiona Armstrong more
Civil Society Steps Up For A Healthy Climate
Political leaders might have dropped the ball on responsible climate policy but health sector leaders have responded with a new advocacy alliance in recognition of the risks climate change poses to public health, writes Fiona Armstrong more
Are You Fair Dinkum, Julia?
Julia Gillard and her Government might be moving forward but they aren’t heading toward a responsible climate policy, writes Fiona Armstrong more
Assembling Citizens For Climate Convergence
It’s not that citizen’s assemblies aren’t a good idea, writes Fiona Armstrong, but turning to the community to establish whether climate change is happening is an abdication of government responsibility more
Who Is Fighting For Hearts And Minds?
Gillard and Abbott might be convinced that good climate policy is bad news but, as Fiona Armstrong argues, they’re missing the opportunity to tell the story of the benefits of action on climate change more
Your Local or mine?
Fiona Armstrong looks at the diverse meanings being given to the word ‘local’ in the current health debate, and explains the need for all health care services (not just hospitals) to be linked or integrated into regional health organisations. more