Past Programs
Audio
Thursday 20 November 2008
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2008 has been a difficult year, with the global financial crisis and our biggest childcare provider going into receivership, not to mention the drought and climate change challenges. But psychologists say being optimistic is the key to surviving the tough times. And now Australian academics are looking at whether governments and managers maintain a level of optimism by keeping some of the bad news to themselves. Is the old adage 'what you don't know can't hurt you' true? And why are we smarter, healthier, and more sociable if we're optimistic?
Wednesday 19 November 2008
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About 8 million new mobile phones are sold in Australia each year and at last estimate, there were more mobiles in this country than people. But what happens to old phones when it comes time to buy new ones? Only about three per cent are recycled; most end up as landfill. The story is not much better for other e-waste— computers, electronic goods, televisions. Environment groups want the federal government to introduce a scheme of 'extended producer responsibility', where the manufacturer takes charge of the disposal of the goods, not just their production. So what could that add to the cost of a new TV or computer? Should schemes like that be voluntary rather than regulated by government? And what's the consumer's role in recycling?
Tuesday 18 November 2008
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Political pressure has been building for the federal government to enforce compulsory filtering of internet content at the level of the service providers, with the particular aim of protecting children. But critics claim that the filtering won't actually protect our computers from some of the most serious risks.
Monday 17 November 2008
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Five states and territories have already announced feed-in tariffs for solar energy, meaning that you are able to sell the energy your solar panels generate back to the grid.
The Council of Australian Governments is now considering a national tariff scheme. The feed-in tariffs are supposed to boost the solar industry and attract investment. So will national feed-in tariffs enable solar energy to deliver on its promises? And what form should the tariffs take?
Thursday 13 November 2008
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It's one of the world's unique marine environments and, not surprisingly, a heritage-listed site. People come in their millions each year to see and experience the Great Barrier Reef. But some scientists are predicting that if temperatures continue to rise, within 30 years it may be gone. Could climate change kill the Great Barrier Reef?
Wednesday 12 November 2008
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The Rudd government has put up a 22 million dollar contribution to keep 1,040 ABC Learning child-care centres open until the New Year. The ABC learning receivers have said that 40 per cent of the centres are not profitable, despite the one million dollars a day the centres received from the childcare rebate. Will community-based and not-for-profit providers be able to fill the gap and maintain services to 120,000 children, and does government need to retain more of an interest in the way childcare services are delivered in the future?
Tuesday 11 November 2008
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Nearly 25 years ago the Sex Discrimination Act was introduced to empower women. But today Federal Sexual Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, says the legislation is out of date and doesn't provide enough protection for men. Why is it time to reform the legislation and does it need to be amended to keep up to date with family and workplace change in Australia?
Monday 10 November 2008
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Immigration minister Chris Evans is likely to reduce migration in Australia because of the economic downturn and a predicted rise in the unemployment rate. At the same time employers in agriculture and mining are still complaining about skills shortage.
While the government is setting up exam centres in India to streamline the recruitment of overseas-trained doctors, a physician in rural Victoria has been denied permanent residency because his son has Down syndrome.
How much migration does Australia need? How important are migrants to our economy? And does the selection process need to be reviewed?
Thursday 06 November 2008
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It's no secret that our population is ageing. Right now more than 2.8 million of us are aged over 65. An expansion of community care programs has enabled more elderly people to stay in their own homes for longer. As a result, those aged over 85 tend to be the main users of aged care services. The number of people in that age group is expected to increase by fourfold over the next 40 years.
But the nursing home industry is reluctant to build more beds. It says the sector is over-regulated and the government controls all three of the fundamentals -- supply, demand and price. So should there be changes in aged care? Should nursing home residents pay more or should the federal government change the way it subsidises nursing home beds?
Wednesday 05 November 2008
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The reportedly most expensive election campaign ever is coming to an end. Barack Obama or John McCain? The US election has drawn a record attention also here in Australia. After the polls will have closed in the US Australia Talks is going to analyse the latest results. What are the decisive factors behind the outcome? And what policy can we expect from the new US president?
Tuesday 04 November 2008
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The term Triage is usually associated with emergency medicine - there's a major accident with a lot of people injured. Medicos systematically assess the severity of each one's condition, and organize their treatment according to a set of priorities. The idea being that with an effective system, you can save as many lives as possible. But triage is increasingly being applied in conservation to decide what species should be protected and what management systems should be adopted for threatened eco systems. And in Australia there's a lot to choose from. The WWF's Living Planet Report says we have the fifth largest ecological footprint per capita in the world, one in five Australian mammals is in danger of dying out - the highest of any developed country. So could triage be a useful guide in deciding how best to manage the environment and its diversity? Or will competing interests, like economic, emotional and political factors, affect our priorities for future environmental management and species protection?
Monday 03 November 2008
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From early next year South East Queensland's drinking water supply serving 2.6 million residents is expected to be composed of around 25% recycled sewage. The project is being looked at by the rest of country as an answer to water supply problems.
What do you think of recycled water? Is it a high-tech solution for our drinking water shortage and necessary in times of climate change? Or does it invite disease and pose health risks?
Thursday 30 October 2008
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The Government says it's taking things day by day, staying flexible and ready to react quickly to the fallout from the financial crisis. It also helps to be running a big budget surplus as concern over market volatility puts pressure on governments for even more guarantees. But how far should the government go in protecting financial institutions? With the big mortgage funds freezing deposits, anxious investors, unable to get access to their money are adding to the political pressure. So how much further should the government go and how much should it spend on guaranteeing the institutions and our money?
Wednesday 29 October 2008
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Last week all terrorism-related charges against Jack Thomas have been dropped. The 35-year-old had been accused of receiving money from a terrorist organisation. And despite an ongoing vigorous defence of their case against Dr Mohamed Haneef, the AFP has been unable to bring charges against him.
A senate committee has recently recommended establishing an ongoing independent reviewer panel for our national security laws. Does the war on terrorism still justify the anti-terrorism laws, or are they leading to an erosion of civil liberties?
Tuesday 28 October 2008
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The Rudd government says it's committed to establishing Australia as one of the world's most highly educated and skilled nations. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the promised education revolution marks the first time all states and territories have committed to a national program to improve our education system from pre-school to upper secondary.
If you compare the performance of Australian schools with other countries in the OECD between 2003 and 2006, Australia declined in both absolute and relative terms in reading literacy. Over the past six years there has been no improvement in the percentage of Australian students who are less than proficient at maths.
In response, the government has promised report cards for schools, a computer for every student and incentives to encourage the best and brightest to pursue teaching as a career path. So are these measures revolutionary? What does it take to make a real difference in our classrooms?
Monday 27 October 2008
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New research into the nursing workforce shows that 15 per cent of nurses are retiring every five years and more and more work only part-time. One in every two enrolled nurses are dropping out of the job. At the same time one-third of students are not finishing their nursing courses. The reasons for the attrition are harsh working environments and long working hours. Is Australia heading towards a nurse crisis -- have we maybe already hit it? And how can we counteract the nursing exodus?
