
Policy Forum Pod
Policy Forum Pod is the podcast of PolicyForum.net - Asia and the Pacific's platform for public policy debate, analysis and discussion. Policy Forum is based at Crawford School of Public Policy at The Australian National University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Dec 1, 2023 • 55min
Caring through disaster
Australia is facing another tough summer. Natural disasters are occurring more frequently than ever, so this week on the Podcast, we talk about what care looks like in times of crisis.We speak to Dr Millie Rooney from Australia ReMADE and Amanda Kelly, the CEO of Women’s Health Goulburn North East, about a joint project called ‘Care through Disaster’ that looks at what would happen if we put care at the centre of disaster decision making. People want to be seen, be safe, and be supported, with people in the community best placed to know how that looks. Amanda Kelly says if you know one regional town, you know one regional town. What works in one place might not work elsewhere.Disasters will no longer be unprecedented. They will be expected. Therefore, we need to start the work now, and this episode outlines exactly what that could look like.---Dr Millie Rooney is the Co-Director for Australia ReMADE, an independent, non-profit leadership network where Australian civil society leaders can collaborate with one another and engage in long-term proactive agenda-setting. Dr Rooney has a research background with expertise in local community and social norms around neighbourhood sharing and community building. Amanda Kelly is the CEO of Women’s Health Goulburn North East. Amanda works within a community context because when everyone participates, the best outcomes are achieved. Engaging stakeholders, identifying objectives, assessing the risks involved, working out a strategy, and then planning and managing the process are Amanda’s interest areas. Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy.Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, a physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.You can find full show notes on the Crawford School of Public Policy LinkedIn account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 24, 2023 • 36min
Housing fit for our climate
In the final episode of our mini-series on housing, we speak to Emeritus Professor Barbara Norman about planning issues and, particularly, the way we need to rethink housing, land use and urban policy in the context of climate emergency and extreme weather events.---Barbara Norman is Emeritus Professor of Urban & Regional Planning at the University of Canberra and an Honorary Professor at the Australian National University. Barbara is also the Director of the Urban Climate Change Research Network Oceania Hub (Columbia University, USA) and co-chair of Planners for Climate Action (UN Habitat). She was recently appointed Chair of the Urban Policy Forum.Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, a physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 17, 2023 • 45min
Reimagining urban planning
On this episode in our housing mini-series Professor Nicole Gurran talks about reimagining the role of urban planning in creating sustainable and inclusive communities.Professor Gurran notes that there is no substitute for housing, and unless there is some better planning now, the crisis we are facing will only escalate. She also adds that the language used around housing is often misleading, with housing needs driven by an increase in population. In contrast, housing demand is how much people are willing to pay for properties themselves. --- Nicole Gurran is Professor of Urban and Regional Planning and Director of the Henry Halloran Research Trust at the University of Sydney. Nicole has authored and co-authored numerous publications and books on urban policy, housing, sustainability and planning. Her research focuses on comparative urban planning systems and approaches to housing and ecological sustainability. Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, a physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.You can find full show notes on the Crawford School of Public Policy LinkedIn account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 10, 2023 • 47min
Fixing our social housing crisis
Australia has seriously neglected social housing, a crisis everyone is now paying the price for. Social housing was once seen as an essential part of the welfare state. It has now become a last resort or, often, an impossible dream.In this episode, we speak with Professor Alan Morris about what we can do to fix the social housing crisis, as well as the decline in homeownership across Australia. Having stable housing brings a significant cost benefits, ranging from improvements in mental health and reduced hospitalisation time to enhanced growth and development in young children. Professor Morris argues it is a human right, one we have been neglecting. This is the second podcast in our housing miniseries, following the first episode with Dr Nicholas Frank. Stay tuned for next week!---- Professor Alan Morris is an urban and housing studies scholar. He is a professor at the Institute for Public Policy and Governance at the University of Technology Sydney, and is the author of many books, including The Private Rental Sector in Australia: Living with Uncertainty co-authored with Hal Pawson and Kath Hulse and published in 2021. He currently has Australian Research Council funded projects on eviction and on social housing waiting lists.Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.You can find full show notes on the Crawford School of Public Policy LinkedIn account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 3, 2023 • 43min
Australia’s dependence on housing
Australia’s housing crisis: Housing is one of the biggest drivers of our economy, but it is also at the core of the biggest financial hardships people are facing. Dr Nicholas Frank lays out why house prices skyrocketed in the 1980s and how the availability of credit became vital for families to survive with rising costs of living. The consumption aspect of the economy currently depends on the wealth generated by increasing house prices. While this has led to wealth inequality, it has also contributed to rising income inequality. Additionally, it poses environmental concerns, as there is often insufficient regulation in place for emissions in the construction of homes, which further exacerbates the problem.This episode is the first in a miniseries on Australia’s housing crisis, so stay tuned!---- Dr Nicholas Frank is a Research Fellow in the Planetary Health Equity Hothouse in the School of Regulation and Global Governance here at the Australian National University. He has worked with the World Trade Organisation and the OECD. His research focuses on the political economy of trade and investment governance. Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, a physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.You can find full show notes on the Crawford School of Public Policy LinkedIn account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 27, 2023 • 54min
The importance of music and creativity
In this special episode of the pod, we discuss the importance of music and creativity. Professor Kim Cunio and Professor Lane Gabora talk about why the creative arts are more important now than ever before, how music makes you feel seen. They also discuss how artificial intelligence is changing, and threatening, creativity. Professor Liane Gabora is an Interdisciplinary cognitive scientist at the University of British Columbia and is currently a visiting scholar at the ANU School of Music. She has more than 200 scholarly publications in diverse journals that span psychology, cognitive science, biology, computer science, physics, mathematics, anthropology, archaeology, and interdisciplinary research, as well as literary journals. Liane is also a published fiction writer, and composes music. Professor Kim Cunio is the outgoing head of the School of Music at the Australian National University. He’s an activist, composer and scholar interested in old and new music and the role of intercultural music in making sense of our larger world. Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, a physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.You can find full show notes on the Crawford School of Public Policy LinkedIn account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 20, 2023 • 45min
Reflecting on the Voice with Janine O’Flynn
In this episode, the Director of the Crawford School of Public Policy, Professor Janine O’Flynn, takes stock of the Voice to Parliament referendum result. She, along with Sharon Bessell and Arnagretta Hunter make some initial reflections and begin to work through where we now need to go as a nation.---Professor Janine O’Flynn is the Director of the Crawford School of Public Policy. Her research interests are in public management, especially reform and relationships. Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, a physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.You can find full show notes on the Crawford School of Public Policy LinkedIn account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 11, 2023 • 43min
Referendums and Constitutional change with Frank Bongiorno
In this episode, historian and Professor Frank Bongiorno talks us through Australia’s constitutional history and explains why the upcoming referendum has the potential to reshape our ability to change as a nation.Professor Frank Bongiorno, AM, is a Professor of History, at the ANU’s College of Arts and Social Sciences. He has held positions in Australia and the UK, and has written widely on Australia’s political history. He is the author of four books, including the recently published Dreamers and Schemers. Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, a physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.You can find full show notes on the Crawford School of Public Policy LinkedIn account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 6, 2023 • 50min
The narrative of the Voice with Rebecca Huntley
The narrative and origin story of the Voice to Parliament are key to understanding how Australian’s will vote in the referendum, says Rebecca Huntley. She talks about soft-yes and soft-no voters, people who do not feel strongly about the Voice to Parliament, their level of engagement and what is important to them. Dr Huntley says her research shows that the majority of Indigenous Australians understand what is at stake in the referendum, and that is not a broader understanding by the rest of the community. Dr Rebecca Huntly is one of Australia’s leading social researchers and has written extensively on social trends and attitudes, including around the Voice. She holds degrees in law, film studies and a PhD in Gender Studies from the University of Sydney, and is director of research at 89 Degrees East. She is a long time member of the Australian Labor Party.Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, a physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.You can find full show notes on the Crawford School of Public Policy LinkedIn account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 4, 2023 • 53min
History is calling with Peter Yu
In this episode, we speak to Professor Peter Yu about what the First Nations Voice to Parliament means for our past, our present, and our future as a nation and the vital role universities play in teaching people to bridge relationship gaps. Professor Yu says current indigenous policy is a cost-benefit failure, and taxpayers should want better for their money, and the Voice will make that happen. ---Professor Peter Yu is a Yawuru man from Broome in the Kimberley. He is currently the inaugural Vice-President, First Nations Portfolio here at the Australian National University - and we are so privileged to have Peter as a colleague and a leader here at the ANU. Peter has over 40 years' experience in Indigenous development and advocacy in the Kimberley, and at the state, national and international levels. He was Executive Director of the Kimberley Land Council, and a member of the national leadership team negotiating the Federal Government's response to the 1992 Mabo High Court judgement. Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, a physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.You can find full show notes on the Crawford School of Public Policy LinkedIn account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.