This collection of essays examines Commonwealth administration under the leadership of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd from 2007-2010. This was a remarkable period in Australian history: Rudd’s government was elected in 2007 with an ambitious program for change. However, as the chapters in this book demonstrate, these ambitions were thwarted by a range of factors, not...

The cost of ATM fees is having a significant and detrimental impact on Indigenous people living in remote communities. The case studies in this report indicate that ATM fees of $20-$40 are commonly incurred by people on the day Centrelink payments are due.

Using data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), this briefing paper explores the impact of literacy and numeracy levels on the educational gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth. The paper focuses on the early post-school outcomes of Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people between 1999 and 2007. Raising the levels of literacy and numeracy...

December 2010 marks the tenth anniversary of the Final Report of the Council of Aboriginal Reconciliation and the culmination of the formal reconciliation process. It is timely therefore to reflect on how far we have come on the reconciliation journey. The report, Are We There Yet?, calls on governments to advance their commitment to ‘resetting’...

While government investments have increased the availability of fundamental services such as police and schools, this report highlights the gaps that exist for Indigenous Australians in being able to make use of these services needed for community safety.