Policy Forum Pod

This week on the pod we take a look at regional cooperation amongst the Pacific Islands and the challenges they face in coordinating policy efforts.How can Pacific island nations work together better to tackle some of the big issues facing the region, and increase their clout on the global stage? On this week’s Policy Forum Pod, a panel of experts take a look at economic development, globalisation, non-communicable diseases, and climate change in the region, and the importance of concerted and coordinated efforts in tackling them.Our presenters – Jill Sheppard and Martyn Pearce – also take a look at a few key policy issues in the news, including the Royal Commissions into both the Murray-Darling Basin and Australia’s banks, as well as proposed tax reforms and franking credits. They also discuss some of the comments you’ve left us and your suggestions you've give us for future pods – so keep them coming!This episode brings together three experts on regionalism amongst the Pacific Islands:Matthew Dornan is a Research Fellow and the Deputy Director at the Development Policy Centre in Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University (ANU).Meg Keen is Associate Professor at the Department of Pacific Affairs at ANU. She is also a senior policy fellow in the State, Society and Governance in Melanesia program at the university.Colin Tukuitonga has served as Director-General at Pacific Community (SPC) since January 2014. He was formerly the Director of its Public Health Division. He is based at the organisation’s headquarters in Noumea, New Caledonia.Our presenters for this week’s podcast are:Jill Sheppard is a political scientist at the School of Politics and International Relations at the ANU.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:Policy Forum Pod Facebook groupCricket match: Sri Lanka vs AustraliaFranking credits and the Labor Party’s suggested tax reformMurray-Darling Basin Royal CommissionRoyal Commission into Australia’s banksPolicy Forum Pod: Australia’s environmental performance reviewOECD Environmental Performance Review: Australia 2019Event information on ST Lee Lecture with Colin TukuitongaThe Framework for Pacific Regionalism (2014)The Pacific Plan for Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Integration (preceding framework)Blue Economy theme for Pacific IslandsHome Affairs Minister Peter Dutton’s comment on... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of Policy Forum Pod of 2019, experts from the OECD discuss their new report looking at Australia’s environmental challenges and performance.With the release this week of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) new report looking at Australia’s environmental performance, we are joined by three of the report’s authors to take a look at a difficult decade, what the country is doing well, and where it might perform better.The panel examines what political tools might be best used to steer the nation in the right direction, and discuss the need for an improvement in how to better inform and engage civil society on these essential issues.Additionally, our presenters – Jill Sheppard, new presenter Tess McGirr, and Martyn Pearce – also go over some of the recent comments and questions and talk about some of the big policy issues that have played out over the last few weeks, including the recent Menindee fish kills, Australia’s migration stance, and delve deeper into Davos.This episode brings together three experts from the OECD:Anthony Cox is the Deputy Director of the Environment Directorate of the OECD. Since joining in 2000, Mr Cox has led work on water, climate, fisheries, political economy of reform, green finance and fossil fuel subsidies.Nathalie Girouard is Head of the Environmental Performance and Information (EPI) division which manages the Environmental Performance Reviews (EPR), environmental information, and indicators and the accession team at the OECD.Frédérique Zegel is a policy analyst at the OECD. She co-ordinated the EPRs of Poland, France, Korea, and the Czech Republic. Before joining the EPR team in 2008, she worked on environmental information and indicators at the OECD. Frédérique was awarded a MSc in Statistics and Computer Science from the ENSAE in Paris.Our presenters for this week’s podcast are:Jill Sheppard is a political scientist at the School of Politics and International Relations at the Australian National University.Tess McGirr is a Sir Roland Wilson Scholar at the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Her research looks at how social services can complement welfare reform to improve employment outcomes.Martyn Pearce is a presenter for Policy Forum Pod and the Editor of Policy Forum.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episodeDavid Attenborough talk at DavosOECD Environmental Performance Review: Australia 2019Policy Forum Pod Facebook groupPolicy Forum Pod: Water justicePolicy Forum Pod: A vision for the northToxic: what is rotten in the Murray-Darling Basin – Quentin Grafton, Emma Carmody, Matthew Colloff, & John Williams.Australia has missed the boat – Marianne DickieMisguided multilateralism – Wesley WidmaierRutger Bregman’s panel appearance at Davos Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What were the worst policies of the recent past? What were the policy highlights of 2018? What policies would help improve the world in 2019?We put these questions to more than 20 researchers at the Australian National University spanning an enormous range of policy issues, from foreign aid to fire prevention, drought policy to discrimination, social media to international security.This special end-of-the-year podcast comes in two parts. First, host Martyn Pearce leads a discussion with previous presenters of Policy Forum Pod – Quentin Grafton, Jill Sheppard, Sharon Bessell and Julia Ahrens – on everything that went right and wrong in policy in 2018. Next, host Nicky Lovegrove takes the reins, bringing Sue Regan and Maya Bhandari into the mix, as they take a look at the policies the world needs moving into a new year.Martyn Pearce is Editor of Policy Forum.Sophie Riedel is Policy Forum’s roving reporter for this special end of year episode.Quentin Grafton is Professor of Economics and ANU Public Policy Fellow at Crawford School, and Editor-in-Chief of Policy Forum.Jill Sheppard is a political scientist at the ANU School of Politics and International RelationsSharon Bessell is the Director of the Children’s Policy Centre at Crawford School, and Editor of Policy Forum’s Poverty: In Focus sectionJulia Ahrens is a presenter on Policy Forum Pod.Nicky Lovegrove is Associate Editor of Policy Forum.Sue Regan is a PhD scholar at Crawford School and Program Director at the Institute of Public Administration Australia.Maya Bhandari is a presenter on Policy Forum Pod.A special thanks to the following ANU academics who appeared on this episode:Hugh White, Sachini Muller, Paul Dibb, Shameem Black, John Gould, Sue Ingram, Clarke Jones, Hedda Ransan-Cooper, Laurie Bamblett, John Blaxland, Margaret Thornton, Timothy Graham, Alister Wedderburn, Ben Phillips, Daniel May, Dominique Dalla-Pozza, Susan Scott, Mark Howden, Paul Burke, Vivien Holmes, and Nicholas Brown.Policy Forum Pod is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and 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 find us on Facebook.This episode of Policy Forum Pod was written and produced by Martyn Pearce, Sophie Riedel and Nicky Lovegrove. It was edited by Julia Ahrens. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Women face a considerable challenge getting into politics, and it doesn’t necessarily get any easier once they’re there. In Australia, the total number of women in parliament is just over 30 per cent, and their treatment by male colleagues at times leaves a lot to be desired. So what can Australia do to create more space for women in politics and policy-making?In her final episode as presenter of The Brief, Edwina Landale chats with Blair Williams about why Australia’s Liberal and Labor parties differ when it comes to gender quotas and safe seats, how female politicians are represented in the media, and whether Australian politics is becoming more or less gendered.Blair Williams is a PhD candidate at the Australian National University working on a comparative study of women prime ministers, and is the Social Media Coordinator for the Australian Political Studies Association (APSA) Women's Caucus.Edwina Landale is the presenter of The Brief. She is a student of Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the ANU.Policy Forum Pod is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and 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 find us on Facebook.To read the transcript of this podcast, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

December 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the Genocide Convention, which emerged following the global outrage at the mass atrocities of World War Two. Yet despite the world’s determination to end genocide, the past seven decades have seen numerous mass killings – from Indonesia and Cambodia, Rwanda and Bosnia, to the crisis currently unfolding in Myanmar. So is the Genocide Convention still fit for purpose?On this week’s podcast, hosts Julia Ahrens and Luke Glanville hear from an international legal expert, a historian, and an atrocity forecaster. Topics discussed include whether political groups should be included in the legal definition of genocide, why the recent ethnic cleansing in Myanmar was not just predictable but predicted, and why the rise of China might be bad news for the prevention of genocide.Melanie O’Brien is a Senior lecturer at the Law School at the University of Western Australia. She specialises in international criminal law, human rights law, peacekeeping and feminist legal theory. She is also the Vice-President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars.Robert Cribb is a Professor at the Coral Bell School of Asia-Pacific Affairs. His research looks at Indonesia and Southeast Asia more broadly, with a focus on mass violence and crime, national identity, environmental politics, and historical geography.Ben Goldsmith is a Professor at the School of Politics & International Relations at ANU. His areas of research are international relations, comparative foreign policy, and atrocity forecasting.Luke Glanville is a Fellow in the ANU Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs. He is the author of the multi-award winning book Sovereignty and the Responsibility to Protect: A new history, and co-editor of the journal Global Responsibility to Protect.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:Genocide Forecasting: Past Accuracy and New Forecasts to 2020 – by Benjamin Goldsmith and Charles ButcherSaudi Arabia’s growing sporting influence – by Simon Chadwick and Paul WiddopRussia and Ukraine’s Australian proxy war – by Elizabeth BuchananAustralia can’t forget Micronesia – by Anthony BerginPolicy Forum Pod is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and 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 find us on Facebook.This episode of Policy Forum Pod was written and edited by Julia Ahrens. It was produced by Martyn Pearce.To read the transcript of this podcast, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special Policy Forum Pod Extra, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet David Williamson discusses the Australian Public Service review and what it'll take to make the country's policy machinery fit for purpose.This podcast is a recording of an address given by Mr Williamson at Crawford School of Public Policy as part of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) ACT Future Leaders Series finale 2018 held on Thursday 22 November. This podcast is hosted by Sue Regan.Show notes:Institute of Public Administration Australia Future Leaders ProgramPodcast: Is Australia's policy machinery fit for purpose? Glyn Davis and Helen Sullivan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From a drought-stricken countryside to Murray-Darling mismanagement, Australia is facing a number of water-related issues. But it’s not just urban and agricultural water supplies that are under pressure. Also threatened are the many Indigenous Australians who depend on ailing waterways for their economic and cultural survival.On this week’s podcast, presenter Quentin Grafton hears from Virginia Marshall and Katherine Taylor about why water governance can’t ignore the issue of justice, and how Australian policymakers can turn the tide of water policy for the better. This episode is hosted by Martyn Pearce and Sue Regan.Virginia Marshall is an Inaugural Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellow with the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) and the Fenner School of Environment and Society.Katherine Taylor is a PhD scholar at Crawford School of Public Policy, where she focuses on water governance and Indigenous water policy in Western Australia.Quentin Grafton is Professor of Economics and ANU Public Policy Fellow at Crawford School, and Editor-in-Chief of Policy Forum.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:Podcast: A vision for the North – with Peter YuAustralia’s ‘suicide prevention plan’ is barely worth the name – by Gerry GeorgatosLosing our heads about compulsory helmets – by Craig RichardsTechnology, research and development, and national security – by Lesley SeabeckCrawford School of Public Policy Facebook pollPolicy Forum Pod is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and 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 find us on Facebook.This episode of Policy Forum Pod was written, produced and edited by Martyn Pearce. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An apparent terrorist attack in the heart of Melbourne has ignited a familiar debate over whether Australia has got its counter-terrorism policy settings right – and what proposed legislative changes might mean for civil liberties.On this week’s podcast, hosts Nicky Lovegrove and Sharon Bessell hear from a national security expert, a legal scholar and an ethicist about encrypted communication, detention without charge, democratic accountability, and whether terrorism receives a disproportionate amount of concern from policymakers. Listen here:Jacinta Carroll is the Director of National Security Policy at the ANU National Security College. Previously, Jacinta was the inaugural Head of the Counter-Terrorism Policy Centre at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.Dominique Dalla-Pozza is a Senior Lecturer at the ANU College of Law and was the co-convenor of the ACT chapter of the Electoral Regulation Research Network. Her research deals with Australian Public Law and Australian National Security Law.Christian Barry is Professor of Philosophy at the ANU Research School of Social Sciences, and Co-Editor of the Journal of Political Philosophy. His research focuses on ethical theory, philosophy of action, and international justice.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:Poverty: In Focus – a special section of Policy Forum guest edited by Sharon BessellHow Russia is fuelling Asia – by Elizabeth BuchananPodcast: Rusted off – with Gabrielle Chan, Peter Holding, Denis Ginnivan, and Carolyn HendriksPodcast: Why prevention policies fail – with Paul Cairney and Gemma CareyPolicy Forum Pod is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and 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 find us on Facebook.This episode of Policy Forum Pod was written and produced by Julia Ahrens and Martyn Pearce. It was edited by Julia Ahrens. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Far from being ‘rusted-on’ voters, rural Australians are deserting the major parties in greater numbers than their city counterparts. And they’re not just abandoning status-quo politics, but finding new ways of inspiring community action and taking policy change into their own hands.So what are urban policymakers getting wrong about rural voters? And what policy lessons should we be taking from the countryside and applying to the country?On this week’s podcast, hosts Martyn Pearce and Jill Sheppard hear from a journalist, a political scientist, and two rural leaders at the forefront of community politics.Gabrielle Chan has been a journalist for more than 30 years. Since 2013, she has worked for Guardian Australia as a political correspondent, Politics Live blogger and senior writer. Her latest book, Rusted Off: Why Country Australia Is Fed Up was released in September 2018.Peter Holding is on the board of Directors for Farmers for Climate Action – an alliance of farmers working to see the agricultural sector get support and investment to adapt to a changing climate, as well as be part of the solution. He is a third-generation farmer in south east NSW, growing crops such as canola and wheat, as well as running sheep for wool.Denis Ginnivan is President and a foundation member of Voices for Indi, a community group based in northeast Victoria, which seeks to encourage citizens to engage and participate in politics and democracy. He is also co-chair of Totally Renewable Yackandandah. He was raised on farms near Benalla where his family had been farming for five generations.Carolyn Hendriks is an Associate Professor at Crawford School of Public Policy. Her research is broadly concerned with how to strengthen citizen agency in the governance of collective problems. Over the past two decades she has made substantial contributions to international debates on the practice and theory of citizen engagement, democratic innovation and deliberative democracy.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:Rusted off: Why country Australia is fed up by Gabrielle ChanAustralian values survey: ANU / The Social Research Centre study led by Jill Sheppard (PDF)Totally Renewable YackandandahFarmers for Climate Action National Farmer Climate SurveyThe Brief: Sanctioning Myanmar with Trevor WilsonIs Australia’s policy machinery fit for purpose? with Glyn Davis and Helen SullivanA vision for the North with Peter YuCrowding out the Pacific by Matthew Dornan, Richard Curtain and Stephen HowesPolicy Forum Pod is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and 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 find us on Facebook.This episode of Policy Forum Pod was written and produced by Martyn Pearce and Nicky Lovegrove. It... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A government review of freedom of religion laws in Australia last month sparked outrage after it suggested that faith-based schools ought to have the right to turn away gay students and teachers.This week on The Brief, Edwina Landale hears from Professor Margaret Thornton about Australia’s legal ambiguity when it comes to religion and discrimination. Topics discussed include what the proposed religious exemptions would involve, whether employment and educational discrimination should be treated differently, and how Australia’s secular-religious divide has changed over the last 20 years.Margaret Thornton is Professor of Law at the Australian National University, specialising in socio-legal issues and feminist scholarship. She is a Barrister of the Supreme Court of NSW and the High Court of Australia, and has published extensively on issues relating to discrimination and the law.Edwina Landale is the presenter of The Brief. She is a student of Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the ANU.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:God Under Howard: The rise of the religious right in Australian politics by Marion MaddoxPolicy Forum Pod is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and 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 find us on Facebook.This episode of Policy Forum Pod was written and produced by Edwina Landale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.