In this staff working paper, Sid Shanks and Simon Zheng undertake a series of modelling exercises that took advantage of the additional available data to explore the effects of research and development on Australian productivity. A major message from the analysis is that, at least for the time being, empirical estimates of the effects of...

Carried out by the Australian Youth Research Centre at the University of Melbourne, this study examined the benefits of youth development programs, including the range of practice models used to produce effective outcomes for young people’s self-development and connection with the community. The study also sought to establish students’ expectations of youth development activities, their...

1 July 2000 saw major changes to Commonwealth–state financial relations, notably the introduction of the goods and services tax (GST) and the payment of the revenue from this tax to the states. Richard Webb examines developments since the changes were implemented and some issues in Commonwealth–state financial relations.

In this updated report Susan Dawe and Richard Elvins incorporate the findings of two additional studies. In both cases they support the key messages of the earlier report, with an additional influence on the likelihood of skills development for the mature-aged leading to employment emerging from one of these studies.

The last several years have been a challenging time for the board and staff of the Small Business Enterprise Centre as they have recovered, along with the rest of the Solomon Islands, from the tensions and the subsequent arrival of RAMSI in 2003. The Centre is now operating without any impediments and this review is...