New Research

Legal and governance models for shared services in local government

24 May 2012Investigating models of shared services delivery, this report considers some varying legal options and models in use across Australia and provides a summary of those options, illustrated by five case studies.

As one: APS disability employment strategy

23 May 2012Despite good intentions and a succession of initiatives over several years, people with disability remain significantly under-represented in the Australian Public Service (APS) workforce.

Trends in Afghan-Australia relations

23 May 2012As a major troop-contributing nation to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, Australia’s relations with Afghanistan have rapidly taken on new dimensions since troops were first deployed in Uruzgan Province.

Regional cooperation towards green Asia: trade in low carbon goods and services

22 May 2012It is logical to argue that low carbon goods and services (LCGS) led growth is an imperative for the Asia Pacific countries, particularly for the emerging Asian economies, which are heavily dependent on imported energy and resources.

Planning for mobile broadband within the 1.5 GHz mobile band

21 May 2012The Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) has been monitoring trends in mobile broadband, potential spectrum availability and the impact on spectrum demand.

A best practice review of the role of schools forums

21 May 2012Schools forums have a consultative and advisory role in school funding and financial matters and have been a statutory requirement in every local authority in England since 2003. 

More...

Citizenship

Detention arrangements—the transfer of 22 detainees from villawood immigration detention centre to the metropolitan remand and reception centre silverwater

23 April 2012In April 2011, there were several major disturbances at Villawood Immigration Detention Centre (IDC). On 20 and 21 April, a total of nine buildings were set on fire and destroyed. This led to a transfer of detainees and also changes in regulation and treatment policies.

Addressing climate change and migration in Asia and the Pacific

05 April 2012This report marks the conclusion of an ADB-financed technical assistance project launched to generate policy responses to migration stimulated by climate-related factors.

Joint select committee on Australia's immigration detention network: final report

30 March 2012At its heart, this inquiry poses fundamental questions about Australia's national identity by considering how we treat people seeking asylum and what weight we ascribe to human rights on our own borders?

Government

Commentary

Place based and place paced public policy

24 May 2012Policy designed in isolation from the context into which it is to be delivered can lead to ineffective outcomes argues Allen Consulting Group's Les Trudzik.

Failing to plan, is planning to fail

24 May 2012Australia need to get back in the game of picking winners says AWU National Secretary, Paul Howe, to the National Press Club

A leadership code for Australia?

22 May 2012Events in Canberra suggest that it's time for Australia to follow the example of some of our neighbours, writes John T. D. Wood

More...

Topic Guides

Wicked problems: do they exist and does it matter?

  • Public Policy Institute - Australian Catholic University

12 December 2011Recently, all kinds of problems and issues are being called wicked, not in the sense of evil, but complex, difficult to understand and resistant to solving.

Social innovation

05 December 2011Social innovation has recently been gaining attention as a way to address social and economic problems that are overlooked or not effectively addressed by existing systems.

Climate change science 'top ten' sources to build your personal knowledge

07 November 2011Acknowledging the importance of drawing from credible sources, this guide provides advice on ten reliable and easily accessible sources of research written for non-specialist readers.

Audio

Beyond populist politics and policies

Listen to audio
23 April 2012What does it take to make good policy decisions in a world where attention spans are dwindling and political populism is on the rise?

Social Media changing the nature of activism?

Listen to audio
12 April 2012Websites and social media can garner the support of hundreds of thousands for a particular cause. They can even bring issues to light that might otherwise have been overlooked by mainstream media. Host Michel Martin speaks with Shelby Blakely of the Tea Party Patriots, and Rashad Robinson of ColorOfChange.org.

Elections

Is Australia a high tax country?

10 May 2012In the lead-up to the 2013 election the Australian Institute hopes to shift the debate about tax and government service provision in Australia.

Directions in Australian electoral reform: professionalism and partisanship in electoral management

03 May 2012This book assesses Australian electoral reforms of the past 30 years using personal interview data and parliamentary debates.

Open Net Initiative 2011 year in review

26 April 2012This US report is a collection of the year's top instances of filtering, surveillance, and information warfare around the globe.

Video

Review calls for scrapping of media regulator

Listen to audio
03 May 2012Professor Terry Flew discusses the independent review of Australia's media and communications sector, which has called for the existing regulator to be scrapped in favour of a new statutory body.

Intelligence squared: animals should be off the menu

Listen to audio
26 April 2012 Intelligence Squared’s 2012 series of debates kicks off with a look at the ethics of eating meat.

Political parties

Blue Labour: lessons for Australia

10 May 2012Following the defeat of the British Labour Party at the 2010 general election, Blue Labour has emerged as one intellectual antidote to New Labour and may have implications for social democratic politics in Australia.

Investigation into the National Office of the Health Services Union

08 May 2012Finding 181 contraventions of the HSU rules, this controversial Fair Work Australia report into the National Branch of the Health Services Union was released to the public on 7 May.

Websites

Development Policy Blog

03 January 2012Providing a platform for the best in aid and development analysis, The Development Policy blog focuses on Australia, the Pacific and Asia.

Text Queensland

07 October 2011Featuring books, journals, theses and newspapers as well as government sources, this site will be useful for anyone interested in Queensland, from school and university students to researchers, family and local historians.

Foundations of Governance in the Australian Public Service

03 October 2011Foundations of Governance has been created to assist agency heads in the Australian Public Service. It includes links to relevant policies, legislation and agency websites.

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Books

Speechwriting for government in Australia

Speechwriting for government in Australia

  • James Groves
  • James Groves & Associates
"...an indispensible book...excellent practical guide to the art of effective oral communication" from the Foreword by Malcolm Hazell CVO AM, former Official Secretary to the Governor-General
Indifferent Inclusion Aboriginal people and the Australian Nation

Indifferent Inclusion Aboriginal people and the Australian Nation

  • Russell McGregor
  • Aboriginal Studies Press
“Russell McGregor is one of the foremost scholars in the field of Aboriginal history. The very title of the book breaks new ground because of the questions implicit in its approach…his perspective is genuinely fresh and insightful.” — Historian Mark McKenna

Noticeboard

Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (the ACNC) starting in July 2012
07 March 2012

In May 2011 the Federal Government announced that the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) would commence operations from 1 July 2012 and that it would initially be responsible for determining the legal status of groups seeking charitable, public benevolent institution, and other not-for-profit (NFP) benefits on behalf of all Commonwealth agencies. 

Regulatory Impact Analysis: Benchmarking: new study
01 March 2012


The Productivity Commission has been asked to report within 9 months on Regulatory Impact Analysis: Benchmarking. The study requires a benchmarking of the efficiency and quality of regulatory impact analysis processes used by the Commonwealth and state and territory governments, as well as those of the Council of Australian Governments.
Access and equity inquiry
20 December 2011

On 18 November 2011, Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Senator the Hon Kate Lundy, announced the establishment of an independent panel of eminent community leaders to conduct an inquiry into Australian Government services to ensure they are responsive to the needs of Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Topic Guides

Wicked problems: do they exist and does it matter?

  • Public Policy Institute - Australian Catholic University

12 December 2011Recently, all kinds of problems and issues are being called wicked, not in the sense of evil, but complex, difficult to understand and resistant to solving.

Topics

APO