Past Programs
Government - Local - 2007
Native title today
11/12/2007
The Kuku Yalanji people of the Daintree have had 1,300 square kilometres returned to them in Queensland's largest Aboriginal freehold transfer. But what has Native Title come to mean in Australia today, and has it brought the anticipated benefits to Indigenous people?
GM food
29/11/2007
The genetically modified (GM) food debate is in the news again now that both the New South Wales and Victorian governments have lifted their moratorium on GM canola crops.
Some say that GM foods are safe, healthy and essential to improving the lives of millions of the world's poorest people.
But others are concerned about the cross-contamination between GM and non-GM crops, fearing it will lead to increased use of herbicides for Round-up resistant weeds.
Political star recruits
06/06/2007
Over the last decade, we've seen both major parties recruiting high-profile candidates for contestable seats, usually against the wishes of the local branch. Supporters of the practice say it's a necessary evil if our parties are to get fresh blood into a diminishing 'members only' talent pool. But opponents argue that disenfranchising the rank and file only accelerates the drift away from party membership. What do we know about the successes of star recruits? Is a high profile needed to cut through in an increasingly fractured media environment? Do parachuted, high-profile recruits inevitably undermine grass-roots democracy?
Shopfront democracy
30/05/2007
High profile government ministers and opposition frontbenchers may hog the media limelight, but do we undervalue the hardworking local MP - someone who aspires to service his or her local constituents? Is the local electorate office the real shopfront of democracy?
Local Council Amalgamations
17/05/2007
In Queensland, the Beattie Government has unveiled a plan to forcibly merge what it terms "unsustainable local councils".
But is bigger necessarily better?
What have Council amalgamations in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia achieved? Can one size fit all? And if not ... what model is best for local Government in rural and regional Australia?
