Past Programs
Ethics - 2007
Freedom of information and digital policy
04/10/2007
First introduced in 1982, the Freedom of Information Act was intended to facilitate a deomcratic flow of documents from the Federal Government to the citizenry. However, commentators have argued that the Act has been slowly eroded over the years, with many areas of government activity automatically exempt...is it time for an overhaul of the Freedom of Information Act?
Suicide and the elderly
17/09/2007
While it's usually younger men who are seen to be at risk; new research released by Griffith University indicates that a growing number of Australian men aged 75 and over are committing suicide. What do the figures tell us about the distress of an ageing male population?
TV and courtrooms
25/05/2007
Today we're picking up on some recent discussions around whether we should be seeing TV broadcasts from our courtrooms. Would increased media access to the justice system ensure greater accountability for our courts? Or would televised justice potentially compromise the rights of defendants and witnesses?
The ethical imagination
23/05/2007
How do we understand the 'natural' when contemplating robots? What is the place of the 'spiritual' in a world at war over religion? And how do we understand 'shared-ethics' when we may not agree with our moral guardians, those politicians and institutions who govern us?
We head down the 'ethical wallaby track' with renowned Australian-Canadian ethicist Margaret Somerville, talking about trans-humanism, reproductive technologies, and the importance of our ethical imagination.
Aged Care Crisis - Whose Responsibility?
24/04/2007
A fatal salmonella outbreak killed five elderly people in Victoria over Easter? There are investigations into the cause, but who's responsible for regulating nursing homes and community care? And, how do we cater for the rising number of Australians who'll need care in the next 20 years or so?
And how do the elderly perceive their health and well being. How well do we understand older people's loneliness.
Scams
15/03/2007
Have you ever been scammed? Australian fraudster, Peter Foster once managed to con Cherie Blair. Frank Abagnale, one of the world's most notorious fraudsters, got away by posing as a pilot, attorney and a physician ... and I've received emails from Nigeria promising me millions of dollars. So how can we protect ourselves from email fraud, pyramid schemes, and other scams? Is this the new frontier in organised crime?
Celebrating the New Year of the Golden Pig!
16/02/2007
Australia is pretty good at celebrating Chinese New Year, and so we should. It's one of the longest standing public celebrations we have.
In 1872, Bendigo in Victoria began its tradition of Lion Dancers, and slowly but surely, Chinese New Year has changed the way we see food, and each other!
Our guests include sociologist Jui-Shan Chang and Darwin chef Jimmy Shu. They'll share their experiences of Chinese New Year around the world as we head into the Year of the Pig!
