Policy Forum Pod

General practitioner Louise Stone and psychiatrist Philip Keightley join us to discuss Australia’s mental health system, the wellbeing of health workers, and what policymakers can do to improve outcomes for patients on this episode of Policy Forum Pod.Why is it ‘no longer' possible to provide best practice mental health care for everybody in Australia’s public health system? What needs to change to improve the wellbeing of healthcare workers? And how can policymakers ensure there is greater equity for patients in terms of access to quality mental health care? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Dr Louise Stone and Dr Philip Keightley from The Australian National University (ANU) Medical School join Dr Arnagretta Hunter and Professor Sharon Bessell to examine what changes are needed in Australia’s mental health system.Louise Stone is a general practitioner with clinical, research, education and policy expertise in mental health, and a Clinical Associate Professor in the Social Foundations of Medicine group at ANU Medical School.Philip Keightley is a Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School and works clinically in perinatal psychiatry. He has clinical and research interests in psychotherapy in the medically ill, clinician wellbeing, and perinatal psychiatry.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.Sharon Bessell is 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.If you, or anyone you know needs help you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or via http://www.lifeline.org.au/ or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 or via https://www.beyondblue.org.au/.Find full show notes at policyforum.net. Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, 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.

This week on Policy Forum Pod, Clare Skinner and Lesley Russell join us to explore where the opportunities exist for meaningful reform of Australia’s healthcare system, especially in emergency medicine. What factors have contributed to Australia’s healthcare system being under-funded, under-resourced, under-staffed, and sometimes under-valued? Is the current funding model fit for purpose as patients’ requirements become increasingly complex? And where should the government start when it comes to widescale reform? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Dr Clare Skinner and Dr Lesley Russell join Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss why Australia’s healthcare system is on the brink of crisis and what policymakers can do to address the challenges the sector faces. Clare Skinner is President of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, the not-for-profit organisation responsible for training emergency physicians and advancement of professional standards in emergency medicine, and a Senior Staff Specialist in Emergency Medicine.Lesley Russell is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Menzies Centre for Health Policy at the University of Sydney. She was a health policy adviser to the federal Australian Labor Party and as health policy adviser on the Energy and Commerce Committee in the United States House of Representatives. She was also a Senior Policy Adviser to the US Surgeon-General during the Obama Administration.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.Sharon Bessell is 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.Full show notes at policyforum.net. Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, 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.

According to a new study, Australia needs a national drinking water quality database - we speak to Paul Wyrwoll and Evie Rose, two authors of the study, about why on this episode of Policy Forum Pod.How many Australians lack access to safe and good-quality drinking water? What does it mean for people’s lives to not have access to water that meets Australian health and aesthetic standards for water quality? And how can policymakers ensure people in regional and remote Australia have agency and power in decision-making around their water services? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Dr Paul Wyrwoll and Evie Rose join Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss their new research about water access in Australia.Paul Wyrwoll is a Research Fellow at the ANU Institute for Water Futures and Crawford School of Public Policy. He works on water economics and policy in Australia and the Asia-Pacific, with a focus on drinking water provision, large water infrastructure, and nature-based solutions to flood and water quality control.Evie Rose is a PhD Candidate at Crawford School of Public Policy at The Australian National University researching the policy challenges of drinking water security and quality in remote Aboriginal communities in Central Australia.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.Sharon Bessell is 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.Full show notes available at policyforum.net. Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, 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.

This week on Policy Forum Pod, the ANU Energy Change Institute’s Thomas Longden and RegNet’s Lee White join Sharon Bessell and Arnagretta Hunter to discuss the importance of equitable energy policies and survey the terrain ahead for Australia’s energy policymakers.As Australia grapples with transitioning to renewable energy, how is the country integrating affordable, reliable, and clean power sources into its energy system? What roadblocks stand in the way? And how do policymakers ensure equitable access to energy as they look to accelerate that transition? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Thomas Longden and Lee White join Sharon Bessell and Arnagretta Hunter to discuss Australia’s complex relationship with fossil fuels and its journey to a greener energy grid.Thomas Longden is a Fellow working on the ANU Energy Change Institute’s Grand Challenge – Zero-Carbon Energy for the Asia-Pacific, based at the Crawford School of Public Policy. Lee White is a Research Fellow with the Zero-Carbon Energy for the Asia-Pacific Grand Challenge at the School of Regulation and Global Governance.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.Sharon Bessell is 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.Full show notes at policyforum.net. Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, 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.

This week on Policy Forum Pod, David Lindenmayer joins us to discuss Australia’s dire biodiversity trajectory and what policymakers need to achieve in the five years until the next State of the Environment Report.Why is environmental monitoring so important? How effective are biodiversity offsets in Australia and around the world? And what could the next State of the Environment Report look like in 2026 if Australia changes its trajectory on conservation and biodiversity? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, David Lindenmayer joins Sharon Bessell and Arnagretta Hunter to discuss a hypothetical penguin farm in the Australian desert and what it reveals about our country’s ‘nothing short of disgraceful’ approach to its environment. David Lindenmayer is a Professor at the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society and is widely regarded as one of the world's leading forest and woodland ecologists and conservation biologists.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.Sharon Bessell is 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.Full show notes at policyforum.net. Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, 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.

This week on Policy Forum Pod, Mark Howden joins Arnagretta Hunter and Sharon Bessell to discuss the recent state of the environment report and the growing strain on the most important system of all - the planet. With a general public demanding action on climate change, how can the government start delivering on its targets? Just how much leadership, and what legislative and policy responses will be enough to protect our environment? And can Australia move beyond the political polarisation that has historically dominated its climate policy? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Mark Howden joins Arnagretta Hunter and Sharon Bessell to explore the current state of Australia’s environment and outline a pathway forward.Mark Howden is the Director of the Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions at ANU and Vice Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He is also the Chair of the ACT Climate Change Council.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.Sharon Bessell is 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.Full show notes at policyforum.net. Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, 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.

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, John Falzon, Sharon Bessell and Arnagretta Hunter discuss the serious impact inequality has on Australians, especially children, and how policymakers can reverse the marginalisation and demonisation of people experiencing poverty.What does the experience of living with poverty mean for the lives of Australian children? Is the new government’s move to create a ‘wellbeing budget’ a step in the right direction when it comes to measuring the strength of the Australian economy and society? And should policymakers change the focus of Australia’s social security system, dumping the framework of ‘mutual obligation’ in favour of one built on mutual respect? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Dr John Falzon, Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter discuss vulnerability, insecurity and poverty in the context of Australia’s cost of living crisis.John Falzon OAM is Senior Fellow, Inequality and Social Justice at Per Capita.Sharon Bessell is 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 a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer for ANU Medical School.Find full show notes at policyforum.net. Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, 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.

This week on Policy Forum Pod, Sharon Friel joins Arnagretta Hunter and Sharon Bessell to look at the health impacts of the cost of living acrisis.How is the current cost of living crisis impacting the health and wellbeing of Australians? How do the social determinants of health play out in the community? And how might policymakers respond to future socio-economic crises without compromising people’s health? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Sharon Friel joins Arnagretta Hunter and Sharon Bessell to explore the impacts of the current economic environment on health and wellbeing. Sharon Friel is an ARC Laureate Fellow, Professor of Health Equity and Director of the Menzies Centre for Health Governance at The Australian National University School of Regulation and Global Governance.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.Sharon Bessell is 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.Find full show notes at policyforum.net. Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, 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.

This week on Policy Forum Pod, Vice-President First Nations at The Australian National University Peter Yu joins us in the second episode in our new mini-series on the social impacts of rising costs of living and the inflation crisis.What would an economic self-determination framework look like in Australia? What can we learn from First Nations’ experiences around the world, particularly from New Zealand and Canada? And can our current economic system empower and create pathways for self-determination and First Nations’ economic sovereignty? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Peter Yu joins Sharon Bessell and Arnagretta Hunter to discuss creating pathways for economic self-determination for First Nations Australians.Peter Yu AM is a Yawuru Man from Broome in the Kimberley region in North West Australia with 40 years experience in Indigenous development and advocacy, and is the inaugural Vice-President (First Nations) at The Australian National University. He was a key negotiator on behalf of the Yawuru Native Title Holders with the Western Australian State Government over the 2010 Yawuru Native Title Agreement. Sharon Bessell is 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.Find full show notes at policyforum.net. Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, 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.

This week on Policy Forum Pod, Warwick McKibbin and Kristen Sobeck join us in the first episode in our new mini-series on the social impacts of rising costs of living and the inflation crisis.What global and local factors have contributed to the rising cost of living and inflation? What is the role of the Reserve Bank in managing monetary policy? And what should policymakers consider when addressing these complex issues? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Warwick McKibbin and Kristen Sobeck join Sharon Bessell and Arnagretta Hunter to go back to basics and unpack the current state of our economic environment.Warwick McKibbin AO is a Distinguished Professor of Economics and Public Policy and Director of the ANU Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis at Crawford School of Public Policy. He is also Director of Policy Engagement and ANU Node Leader at the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research.Kristen Sobeck is a Senior Research Officer at Crawford School's Tax and Transfer Policy Institute. She has worked as an economist at the International Labour Organization at its headquarters in Geneva and the Argentina country office.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.Find full show notes at policyforum.net. Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, 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.