Policy Forum Pod

On this second episode of our two-part podcast, our expert panel dive deeper into the physical and mental health impacts of the fires and discuss what lessons policymakers can really draw from a potential Royal Commission into the bushfires. Having discussed the link between climate change and the bushfires and shared their personal experiences in part one, our expert panel – Dr Liz Hanna, Professor Stephen Dovers, Professor Janette Lindesay, and Dr Siobhan McDonnell – return for part two of this special Policy Forum Pod episode on Australia’s bushfires. Our presenters Dr Paul Wyrwoll and Martyn Pearce pick up where we left off asking the panel about the far-reaching mental and physical health impacts of the fires, look at whether a Royal Commission is needed, and discuss what better policy might look like.Stephen Dovers is Emeritus Professor with the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society and works on the policy of climate change adaptation, disasters, and sustainable development.Janette Lindesay is a climatologist, a Deputy Director of the ANU Climate Change Institute, and Emeritus Professor at the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society.Liz Hanna is an Honorary Fellow at ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society. Her research investigates the health impacts of climate change.Siobhan McDonnell is a legal anthropologist with over 20 years of experience working with Indigenous people in Australia and the Pacific on land use, gender, and climate change. She is a Lecturer at Crawford School of Public Policy, and the lead negotiator on climate change for the Vanuatu government.Paul Wyrwoll is an environmental and resources economist at Crawford School. Previously, Paul was General Manager of the FE2W Network and Managing Editor of the Global Water Forum.Martyn Pearce is a presenter for Policy Forum Pod and the Editor of Policy Forum.Policy Forum Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Dovers is Emeritus Professor with the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society and works on the policy of climate change adaptation, disasters, and sustainable development.Janette Lindesay is a climatologist, a Deputy Director of the ANU Climate Change Institute, and Emeritus Professor at the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society.Liz Hanna is an Honorary Fellow at ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society. Her research investigates the health impacts of climate change.Siobhan McDonnell is a legal anthropologist with over 20 years of experience working with Indigenous people in Australia and the Pacific on land use, gender, and climate change. She is a Lecturer at the Crawford School of Public Policy, and the lead negotiator on climate change for the Vanuatu government.Paul Wyrwoll is an environmental and resources economist at Crawford School. Previously, Paul was General Manager of the FE2W Network and Managing Editor of the Global Water Forum.Martyn Pearce is a presenter for Policy Forum Pod and the Editor of Policy Forum.Policy Forum Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Looking for a great podcast to keep you entertained on the drive home for Christmas dinner? Our joyful Policy Forum Pod team have got you covered. On this special end-of-year episode, from people power beyond the ballot box to an in-depth chat on poverty and climate change with Philip Alston, we present our favourite episodes for your listening pleasure, with a special appearance from some of our listeners. If you need some inspiration for your New Year’s resolutions, you might just find that too, as our presenters share their own ideas for the coming year.Paul Wyrwoll is an environmental and resources economist at Crawford School. Previously, Paul was General Manager of the FE2W Network and Managing Editor of the Global Water Forum.Sue Regan is a PhD Scholar and tutor at Crawford School of Public Policy. Previously, Sue was Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, a UK-based research institute focusing on the well-being of low earners.Liam Hughes is a listener of Policy Forum Pod. He is a student at the University of Queensland.Mark Zanker is a listener of Policy Forum Pod. He is a retired lawyer who worked in Australian Government Attorney General’s Department from 1983 to 2009, principally in bankruptcy and then international law.Sharon Bessell is a Professor at Crawford School of Public Policy, where she is co-leader of the ANU Individual Deprivation Measure (IDM) team. The IDM is a new, gender-sensitive and multidimensional measure of poverty.Quentin Grafton is Professor of Economics at Crawford School, an ANU Public Policy Fellow, and Director of the Centre for Water Economics, Environment and Policy.Julia Ahrens is a presenter on Policy Forum Pod.Martyn Pearce is a presenter for Policy Forum Pod and the Editor of Policy Forum.Policy Forum Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite the fact that more people are moving to cities globally, some places are increasingly struggling with slower population growth, lower incomes and higher unemployment rates. One example of such urban decline is Dandenong, a diverse multicultural suburb of Melbourne, that has been facing a number of social and economic challenges. On this episode, we talk to Crawford School Director Professor Helen Sullivan about her research into the revitalisation of Dandenong, and the story it tells about cultural pluralism and the importance of collaboration between different levels of government. Helen also discusses why policymakers must pause and listen first if they want to create successful revitalisation plans.Pod presenters Sue Regan and Martyn Pearce also dive into some of your questions and comments and welcome new members to our Facebook Podcast group.Helen Sullivan is Director of Crawford School of Public Policy. She has published widely on public policy, public governance and public service reform, and in 2013 established the Melbourne School of Government.Sue Regan is a PhD Scholar and tutor at Crawford School of Public Policy. Previously, Sue was Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, a UK-based research institute focusing on the well-being of low earners.Martyn Pearce is a presenter for Policy Forum Pod and the Editor of Policy Forum.Policy Forum Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amazing new technologies in the areas of artificial intelligence and genetics have benefitted societies and greatly rewarded their innovators, but access to resources that help people innovate is not equal. On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, we invited Andrew Leigh MP to the pod bridge to talk about his new book, find out why Australians seem to fear innovation failure, and how we can support the next generation to explore the universe of innovations. We also touch upon the role of universities in building stronger partnerships between students and businesses, and discuss why excellent innovations first need excellent teachers.Our pod presenters Sue Regan and Martyn Pearce also tackle some of your questions and comments.Andrew Leigh is the Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury and Charities and Member for Fenner. Prior to his election in 2010, Andrew was a professor of economics at The Australian National University. Andrew's new book, Innovation + Equality: How to Create a Future That Is More Star Trek Than Terminator, written with Joshua Gans, was published in October by MIT Press.Sue Regan is a PhD Scholar and tutor at Crawford School of Public Policy. Previously, Sue was Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, a UK-based research institute focusing on the well-being of low earners.Martyn Pearce is a presenter for Policy Forum Pod and the Editor of Policy Forum.Policy Forum Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the nation is ravaged by bushfire and drought, and as yet another political row breaks out over the role of climate change in all this, our Great Green Debate all-star team comes back for the second leg of the Great Green Debate cup clash. On this episode, Shane Rattenbury MLA, Dr Liz Hanna, and Dr Imran Ahmad take on a wide range of audience-submitted questions from our recent live event, looking at why it is high time to speak about climate change in the context of Australia’s dramatic bushfires, how we can ensure a just energy transition, and what peaceful protests can really do to spur climate action.Imran Ahmad is Founding Director of Future Earth Australia, former Director of East-Asia and Pacific at the Global Green Growth Institute, and an Honorary Associate Professor at the Fenner School of Environment and Society.Shane Rattenbury is the ACT government’s Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability.Liz Hanna is a Fellow in the ANU College of Medicine, Biology and Environment and Chair of the Environmental Health Working Group, World Federation of Public Health Associations.Marija Taflaga is a lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations. Her major research is on political parties and particularly the Liberal Party of Australia. She has previously worked in the Australian Parliamentary Press Gallery as a researcher at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Martyn Pearce is a presenter for Policy Forum Pod and the Editor of Policy Forum.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:Podcast: Great Green DebateClimate emergency rejected by Australia’s ParliamentSuper-Power (Ross Garnaut)Bushfires in AustraliaDemocracy Sausage: David SpeersReview of Labor’s 2019 Federal Election CampaignHazelwood power station closureDeclaring a water emergency - Quentin Grafton and John Williams (Policy Forum)The Great StinkPolicy Forum Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trust in democracy is falling in Western countries – including Australia. On one side, we see growing protests about the government’s response to climate change, while at the other extreme people are feeling increasingly disengaged by politics. So on this week’s Policy Forum Pod we ask, how can we make sure that the voice of citizens is heard in policy? To tackle this question, we’re joined by Associate Professor Jennifer Lees-Marshment, Associate Professor Carolyn Hendriks, and Peter Martin. The panel also discuss Scott Morrison’s clampdown on environmental protesters, and why social media has hampered rather than helped productive political dialogue.Pod presenters Professor Quentin Grafton and Julia Ahrens also discuss the reaction to Quentin’s call for Australia to declare a ‘water emergency’, welcome some of our new Facebook group friends, and look at some of your questions and comments.Carolyn Hendriks is Associate Professor of Public Policy and Governance, at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Her work examines the democratic aspects of contemporary governance.Jennifer Lees-Marshment is an Associate Professor in political science at The University of Auckland in New Zealand. Author/editor of 13 books, she is a world expert in political marketing with additional research interests in public input, leadership, and governance.Peter Martin is a Visiting Fellow at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy and the Business and Economy Editor of The Conversation. A former Commonwealth Treasury official, he has worked as economics correspondent for the ABC, as economics editor of The Age, and as host of The Economists on ABC Radio National.Quentin Grafton is Professor of Economics at Crawford School, an ANU Public Policy Fellow, and Director of the Centre for Water Economics, Environment and Policy. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Policy Forum.Julia Ahrens is a presenter on Policy Forum Pod.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:Declaring a water emergency - Quentin Grafton and John Williams (Policy Forum)Scott Morrison on climate protestersRichard Nixon on ‘forgotten Americans’The Ministry of Public Input (Jennifer Lees-Marshment)Inquiry into the Economics of Energy Generation (NSW)Podcast: Illicit drug policy - more harm than good?Policy Forum Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia’s illicit drug policies are complex and vary between states and territories. Despite recent pushes to decriminalise cannabis in the Australian Capital Territory or to minimise harm through pill-testing at festivals - both of which have been opposed by the federal government - attempts to regulate illicit drug use have mostly been pursued through prohibition.On this Policy Forum Pod, we talk to David Caldicott, Desmond Manderson, and Tracy Fenwick about why ‘zero tolerance’ policies are causing more harm than good, and how states and territories can act as policy laboratories to develop better solutions. They also discuss why the legalisation of cannabis always needs to go hand in hand with effective quality controls for marijuana crops.Pod presenters Paul Wyrwoll and Julia Ahrens also discuss the government’s new expert panel appointed to find ways to cut emissions and take a look at your comments, questions and suggestions for future episodes of Policy Forum Pod.Desmond Manderson is a Professor in the College of Law at The Australian National University. He is founding Director of the Centre for Law, Arts, and the Humanities.Tracy Fenwick is the Director of the Australian Centre for Federalism and Senior Lecturer in the School of Politics in the College of Arts and Social Sciences at ANU.David Caldicott is an emergency consultant at the emergency department of the Calvary Hospital in Canberra and a Senior Lecturer in the College of Health and Medicine at ANU.Paul Wyrwoll is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Climate and Energy Policy in the Crawford School at ANU. He is an environmental and resources economist who works on energy, water, and climate change.Julia Ahrens is a presenter on Policy Forum Pod.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:Climate Solutions (Emissions Reduction) FundNew cannabis use laws in ACTBeau Kilmer’s research (Rand Corporation) National Drug Strategy Household SurveyCanada’s Cannabis 2.0ACEM Annual Scientific Meeting (Hobart)Japan’s pivot to sport - Simon Chadwick (Policy Forum)Podcast: A sense of social insecurityPolicy Forum Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Compared to its OECD peers, Australia has an above-average poverty rate, and couples this with rising rates of homelessness, an increasingly casualised workforce, and dole rates so low that a chorus of voices from across the political spectrum are calling for an increase in Newstart payment.But has the country really got the measure of poverty rates and their impacts? What’s life really like on the breadline? And what policies do we need to ensure a social welfare system that protects the most vulnerable in society? This week on Policy Forum Pod a brilliant panel - Nicole Wiggins, Dr John Falzon, and Professor Matthew Gray - tackle these questions and more.Pod presenters Professor Sharon Bessell and Martyn Pearce also discuss Australia’s Anti-Poverty Week, Australia’s Women of Influence, whether writing to MPs is an effective way of changing policy, and last week’s Great Green Debate live event.Professor Matthew Gray is Director of the Centre for Social Research and Methods at The Australian National University. He was previously Director of the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Director of Research for the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, and Deputy Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies.Dr John Falzon OAM is Senior Fellow, Inequality and Social Justice at Per Capita. He is also a sociologist, poet, and social justice advocate, and was national CEO of the St Vincent de Paul Society from 2006 to 2018. John’s current work focuses on social security reform, housing and homelessness, workers’ rights, and rebuilding the concept of the common good across society.Nicole Wiggins is Director of the Early Morning Centre. The Early Morning Centre is a community hub supporting Canberra people who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness and those experiencing social isolation.Sharon Bessell is a Professor at Crawford School of Public Policy, where she is co-leader of the ANU Individual Deprivation Measure (IDM) team. The IDM is a new, gender-sensitive and multidimensional measure of poverty.Martyn Pearce is a presenter for Policy Forum Pod and the Editor of Policy Forum.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:MyCause page for supporting Canberra community charitiesPodcast: Great Green DebateThe Early Morning CentrePoverty in Australia 2018 (ACOSS and UNSW)Australia’s unemployment benefit lowest amongst OECD countriesSenate Inquiry into the Adequacy of NewstartSenate Inquiry into the Adequacy of Newstart in 2012Harmer Review (Pension Review Report)Podcast: Julian Burnside - Changing attitudes towards refugees and asylum seekers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our cities are changing rapidly giving rise to a plethora of sustainability challenges. On this Policy Forum Pod extra, we chat to Tayanah O’Donnell about what Future Earth does in the urban context, and why governments, industry, researchers, and citizens must work together to shape our future cities in a sustainable way.We also talk to Tayanah about the climate strike protests, and she shares her thoughts on whether Australia should declare a climate emergency.Tayanah O’Donnell is Director of Future Earth Australia, based at the Australian Academy of Science.Julia Ahrens is a presenter on Policy Forum Pod.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:Future Earth AustraliaPolicy Forum Pod is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.