Policy Forum Pod

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne has announced sanctions on five military generals accused of leading last year's violent crackdown on the country's Rohingya people. The move follows the release of an independent UN Fact-Finding Mission report, which condemned the Myanmar military for killing thousands of Rohingya civilians and perpetrating forced disappearances, mass gang rape and the burning of hundreds of villages.This week on The Brief, Edwina Landale hears from former Australian Ambassador to Myanmar Trevor Wilson about why neither the international community nor Aung San Suu Kyi have been able to end the violence.Trevor Wilson retired in August 2003 after more than 36 years as a member of the Australian foreign service, and after serving as Australian Ambassador to Myanmar (2000-03). Since October 2003 he has been a Visiting Fellow on Myanmar/Burma at the Department of Political & Social Change, School of International, Political & Strategic Studies, Australian National University. He is currently a member of the advisory panel for the ANU Myanmar Research Centre.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:Bringing democracy to Myanmar by Trevor WilsonIndependent International Fact-Finding Mission on MyanmarPolicy 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.

Northern Australia comprises roughly half of the Australian continent, but certainly receives less than half the attention from policymakers. It’s a region with challenging geography, wide cultural diversity, and enduring social inequality, and ever since Federation, it’s been the subject of grand thought bubbles from politicians with visions of turning the region into Australia’s next economic powerhouse.On this week’s podcast, hosts Sharon Bessell and Quentin Grafton hear from Peter Yu about the economic, geographic and development challenges facing the north, and why there might in fact be more solutions than problems.Peter Yu is a Yawuru Man from Broome in the Kimberley region in North West Australia with over 35 years’ experience in Indigenous development and advocacy in the Kimberley and at the state, national and international level.Sharon Bessell is the Director of the Children’s Policy Centre in Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University.Quentin Grafton is Editor-in-Chief of Policy Forum. He is Professor of Economics at Crawford School of Public Policy, Convenor of the Global Actions on Human Water Security, Director of the Centre for Water Economics, Environment and Policy (CWEEP) and Director of the Food, Energy, Environment and Water (FE2W) Network.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:Collaborative governance for the Sustainable Development Goals – an Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies journal article by Ann Florini & Markus PauliPodcast: Australia’s light bulb moment – with Emma Aisbett, Paul Burke and Matt StocksPolicy 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 produced by Martyn Pearce. It was edited by Julia Ahrens. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has recently raised the prospect of transferring asylum seekers on Nauru to New Zealand – a move that, if implemented, could signpost a change in Australia’s strict approach to refugee policy.The country’s offshore detention of asylum seekers has long been a controversial policy topic. The exact conditions within camps are unknown, and it can be difficult to discern the reality of refugee policy through the rhetoric of refugee politics. This week on The Brief, Edwina Landale hears from Marion Lê, an award-winning human rights activist who has worked on the front lines of refugee politics in Australia since the arrival of the first Vietnamese boat people in the mid-1970s.Marion Lê is a consultant, registered migration agent, and long-standing refugee rights activist. She was named as the Bicentennial Canberra Citizen of the Year in 1988, awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1990, the Austcare Paul Cullen Award for Outstanding Contribution to Refugees in 1994, and the Human Rights Medal in 2003 for her work in promoting human rights over the last three decades.Edwina Landale is the presenter of The Brief. She is a student of Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the ANU. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia's policy-making machinery is currently undergoing something of a mechanical inspection. Earlier this year, then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced a major Independent Review of the Public Service “to ensure the APS is fit-for-purpose in the years and decades ahead”.On this week’s podcast, we find out where the APS is well-oiled, where it’s a bit rusty, and where it needs a new set of parts altogether, as hosts Martyn Pearce and Sharon Bessell chat to the policy equivalents of expert mechanics: Professor Glyn Davis and Professor Helen Sullivan.Topics discussed include ethics and expertise, populism and partisanship, blockchain and automation, and a number of your audience questions.Professor Glyn Davis recently joined Crawford School as a Distinguished Professor. He was previously Vice-Chancellor at the University of Melbourne from 2005 to 2018, and is renowned as one of Australia's finest higher education leaders, whose academic work has shaped the thinking of public servants at all levels of government.Professor 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.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:In Focus: Poverty – a new section guest edited by Sharon BessellThe Brief: Australia’s Banking Royal Commission with Tracey MylecharaneThe art of R&D courtship by Amanda-Jane George, Julie-Anne Tarr, and Alexandra McEwanA #MeToo movement for children by Cecilia TortajadaPolicy 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 was edited by Martyn Pearce. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia’s Banking Royal Commission has uncovered countless stories of greed and illegal behaviour in the country’s financial sector, and has revealed a deeply ingrained corporate culture within the country’s banks. The Commission’s interim report was released on 28 September, and it poses 693 policy related questions, chief among them “why did it happen?” and “what can be done to avoid it happening again?”This week on The Brief, Tracey Mylecharane delves into the causes and consequences of the Banking Royal Commission, and weighs the chances of effective financial reform.Tracey Mylecharane is a Lecturer at the ANU College of Law, specialising in regulation within the Australian Financial System and corporate culture in the banking sector. She sits on the academic committee of the Banking and Financial Services Law Association, and prior to joining ANU worked in the legal practice for 12 years.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:ASIC Enforcement ReviewInquiry into the Post-GFC Banking SectorInquiry into Financial Products and Services in AustraliaPolicy 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.

From Bill Gates to the United Nations, everyone wants to end poverty. But what does ‘poverty’ actually mean – beyond simply having a low income? How does it affect men and women differently? And do policymakers working to tackle the problem really understand the experiences of the people they’re trying to help?This week on Policy Forum Pod, host Martyn Pearce chats with Caren Grown, Senior Director for Gender at the World Bank, and Sharon Bessell, a lead designer of a new, gender-sensitive and multidimensional measure of poverty.Topics discussed include whether the World Bank has changed its tune on development since the 1980s, how to close the global data gap between men and women, and where to find the next low-hanging fruit when it comes to eradicating poverty.Dr Caren Grown is Senior Director for Gender at the World Bank Group and an internationally-recognised expert on gender and development.Sharon Bessell is a Professor at Crawford School of Public Policy, where she is co-leader of the ANU Individual Deprivation Measure (IDM) team, a new, gender-sensitive and multidimensional measure of poverty.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:The Individual Deprivation MeasureA red flag for homicide by Heather DouglasPodcast: Building bridges between research and industry with Sara Bice and Kirsty O’ConnellPolicy 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 produced and edited by Martyn Pearce. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The future of smoking in Australia seems to be up in the air. Last week North Sydney CBD announced plans to go smoke free, a decision that comes on the back of Big Tobacco’s failed attempt to get around Australia’s ban on vaping in public places.Regulations on smoking and other vices raise questions about not only the use of public space, but also the conflict between public health and individual rights.On this episode of The Brief, Simone Dennis shines a light on the unintended consequences of vice policies – from the growing fear of third-hand smoke to the potential for anti-smoking agendas to compound social inequalities.Professor Simone Dennis is a Senior Lecturer in Anthropology at the ANU Research School of Humanities & the Arts, specialising in Social and Cultural Anthropology, Public Health and Health Services.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:Smokefree: A Social, Moral and Political Atmosphere by Simone DennisPolicy 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.

Over $20 billion worth of Australian infrastructure projects over the last decade were cancelled, delayed or mothballed due to community backlash. With another $100 billion in projects underway across the country, policymakers and industry leaders can’t afford to get the community offside.On this week’s podcast, host Nicky Lovegrove chats with Sara Bice and Kirsty O’Connell from the Next Generation Engagement Program – a globally unique research initiative aiming to transform the way the infrastructure sector understands and values community engagement.Topics discussed include why there seems to be more community resistance to infrastructure projects now than in the past, whether community engagement should be regulated by government, and why academics should start ‘co-designing’ their research questions with industry.Kirsty O'Connell is Industry Director for the Next Generation Engagement Program – a globally unique research program hosted by the Australian National University that aims to transform the way the infrastructure sector understands and values engagement.Dr Sara Bice is a Senior Research Fellow at Crawford School of Public Policy, and leads the Next Generation Engagement Program based at the school.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:Next Generation Engagement Program – Australia’s largest study on engagement and infrastructure deliverySpeak softly and carry economic gifts, by Stephen NagyDrug response out of tune, by John CoynePodcast: Power to the people? with Duncan McDonnell, Jill Sheppard and Paul KennyPolicy Forum Pod is available on iTunes, 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 edited by Edwina Landale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bali is on the brink of imposing new tourism restrictions due to declining ‘quality of tourists’. Like many developing nations in the Asia-Pacific, Indonesia – and Bali in particular – is increasingly dependent upon tourism, but how does the industry affect local communities? This week on The Brief, David Beirman looks at what lies behind sunny tourism slogans and what it means to be a quality tourist.David Beirman is a Senior Lecturer of Tourism at the University of Technology Sydney, specialising in the field of tourism risk, crisis and recovery management. He is the longest serving member of DFAT’s Consular Consultative Group and worked for 30 years in the Australian travel industry.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:Smart Travel WebsitePolicy Forum Pod is available on iTunes, 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ANU Grand Challenges competition offers up to $10 million to research that tackles the world’s most important and intractable problems. This year’s winners are working on what might just be the grandest challenge of all – how to decarbonise the world’s energy supply to prevent a climate catastrophe.On this week’s podcast, hosts Maya Bhandari and Bob Cotton hear from three members of the winning research team about their plan to help Australia deliver zero-carbon energy to the Asia-Pacific region.Topics discussed include how underwater sea cables could link Australia and Southeast Asia, why East Asian demand for hydrogen energy could reduce the power of the coal lobby, and what a multi-billion dollar renewable export industry would mean for the Australian economy.Emma Aisbett is a Senior Research Fellow at the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods and an Adjunct Lecturer at Crawford School of Public Policy. Her research focuses on economic globalisation, environmental policy, developing countries, and political economy.Paul Burke is an economist focusing on energy, the environment, transport and developing countries, particularly in the Asia-Pacific. His research includes policies for zero-carbon energy in the Asia-Pacific and Australia’s energy transition.Matt Stocks is a Fellow at the Research School of Engineering. He has more than 20 years of research and development experience in renewable energy and photovoltaics.Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:The ANU Grand Challenges SchemeZero-Carbon Energy for the Asia-Pacific - The Energy Change Institute's winning project for the 2018 ANU Grand Challenges SchemeDoes it really matter if Trump pulls the US out of the World Trade Organization? by Peter DrahosZero car growth: only in Singapore? by Singfat ChuPlanning for the worst by Anthony BerginThe Crawford Master of Public Policy in Environment Policy offered by Crawford School and convened by Llewellyn HughesPolicy Forum Pod is available on iTunes, 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.