In these pieces CPD thinkers provide rapid-fire responses to the debates of the day, with an eye to the bigger picture and the decades to come. Subscribe to get Thinking Points by email or grab our rss feed. Thinking Points is released under a Creative Commons license: all Thinking Point articles may be reproduced without permission as long as both the author and CPD are attributed, with a link to the original article on the CPD website. You are also welcome to syndicate our rss feed on your own website. If you republish a Thinking Point article in print we would appreciate receiving a copy at PO Box K3, Haymarket, NSW 1240.

GovCampNSW | Sydney, November 19

    GovCamp is an open, ‘unconference’ style discussion format and aims to simply provide a space to share ideas ranging from eGov, Gov 2.0 and opengov to innovation for public sector resilience.  GovCampNSW is an invitation to be part of an emerging conversation, that may inspire and shape new opportunities for innovation in government in Sydney, in NSW and beyond. It is an opportunity to talk with a mix of people – from inside … more

Chris Bonnor | Schooling In Leadership

Commitment to long-term reform, encouraging and engaging with an inspirational flare. Unfortunately these are not the qualities of our political leaders but  they are the leadership styles of many school principals. Perhaps the later could inform the former on what it means to lead, suggests Chris Bonnor. Read the full article in Online Opinion here 

James Arvanitakis | It’s A Bit Rich to Dimiss the Poor Occupiers

They might not have a clear message, an easy catchphrase or the funding of your traditional lobby groups but the Occupy movement should not be dismissed as irrelevant and opportunist. Their broad concern, that the current economic system largely benefits a a minuscule minority at the expense of the many, is legitimate and it is no coincidence that those who are criticizing the movement are the same people who benefit from the current status-quo. Read … more

 

Protection Vital to Securing Our Marine Wealth | Miriam Lyons & Laura Eadie

Australia is surrounded by a vast wealth of oceans. More than 70 per cent of our territory lies under water – the third largest and most biodiverse marine estate in the world. So far we’ve stepped up to the challenge of managing one important marine resource – our fish stocks – better than most countries in the world. However, given that 63 per cent of the world’s stocks are overfished, that’s a bit like saying … more

ABC Rural | Report Says Ocean Resources are ‘Undervalued’ in the Economy

Following CPD’s recently released report, Stocking Up, Securing Our Marine Economy, ABC Rural reports on the undervaluing of Australia’s marine resources. While official accounts currently recognise only $44 billion in value, overlooking the extra value of ‘ecosystem services’ such as carbon storage, seafood, recreation and tourism. As CPD Sustainable Economy Research Director Laura Eadie indicates, it makes good business sense to protect the ocean resources. To read the full report, click here.  

Pew Environment Group | New Report Finds Marine Sanctuaries an Important Economic Investment

Pew Environment Group reports on CPD’s research paper, Stocking Up: Securing our Marine Economy. Worth $69 billion per year to the national economy, establishing a network of marine sanctuaries would help secure and boost the economic, environmental and social benefits enjoyed by Australians. “This important report found marine protection is vital in high risk areas where corals and sea grasses exist, such as at Geographe Bay, Cape Naturaliste and the Abrolhos Islands” said Michelle Grady of the Pew … more

 

Michael Gordon | Call Goes Out For Asylum Policy Based on ‘Better Angels of Our Nature’

With the release of A New Approach, Breaking the Stalemate on Refugees and Asylum Seekersand the full High Court hearing of a legal challenge to the Gillard government’s Malaysia Solution, 30 well known Australians, including former Liberal Leader John Hewson, scientist Sir Gustav Nossal, playwright David Williamson, violinist Richard Tognetti, novelist Thomas Keneally, Heather Ridout, Michael Chaney and Janet Holmes a Court, along with the ACTU president, Ged Kearney, have come out in support of … more

Ian McAuley | Abbott Does Truck All for Democracy

Relentless negative messages from Tony Abbott, most recently on the truckies in Canberra, are eroding the Coalition’s capacity to make good policy – and that’s bad for everyone, writes Ian McAuley. The Liberal/National Party Opposition, aided by the Murdoch press and by talkback radio hosts, is doing a remarkably effective job not only in tapping into people’s discontent, but also in fomenting discontent. The messages, crafted to create anxiety, are simple: we are crippled by massive … more

John Menadue | Asylum seeker facts lost in hysteria

Does our island mentality and concern about securing our physical border help explain  our obsession with “boat people”? John Menadue explores the causes of Australia’s obsession with asylum seekers and boat people. As we seem to have lost all sense of proportion in this debate, we should adopt the metrics the UNHCR does. That is, what should matter is the total number of refugees, regardless of how they arrive. As we’ve entered a post-truth politics … more