Commonwealth, state and territory health ministers met in Brisbane to discuss a range of priority health issues including remote area renal services, national health call centres, pandemic influenza, childhood obesity, quality and safety, and a range of health workforce issues.

The third annual report on the state of Australian hospitals shows that more people were admitted to Australian public hospitals in 2004–05 than in any previous year. Of the 4.3 million Australians admitted to public hospitals, 86 per cent were treated as public patients, a similar proportion to 2003–04. Private hospital admissions, which totalled 2.7...

In a response to the ALP national discussion paper on urban development, housing and local government Barbara Norman writes that unless we clearly support the development of sustainable cities in this nation involving all levels of government, economic productivity, social cohesion and environmental sustainability will be adversely affected.

In a speech for the Australian Fabian Society in Melbourne, Senator Kim Carr, Shadow Minister for Housing, Urban Development, Local Government and Territories, presents his views on housing and social and infrastructure issues. 'Our fundamental approach assumes Australia is facing an acute housing shortage and while the Government concentrates on the demand side, it has...

Australia’s system for sentencing federal offenders should be significantly overhauled to provide greater consistency, fairness and clarity, according to this report, which includes a detailed analysis of over 25,000 fraud and drug cases handled by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions between 2000 and 2004. The report shows a significant disparity in both the type...