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Grattan Institute aspires to contribute to public policy in Australia as a liberal democracy in a globalised economy. Our work is objective, evidence-driven and non-aligned. We foster informed public debate on the key issues for Australia through both public events and private forums engaging key decision makers and the broader community. Twitter: @GrattanInst

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Displaying 581 - 600 of 654 articles

Former Chief Climate Commissioner Tim Flannery with a solar array at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus in 2011. AAP/Dave Hunt

Loved by the crowd, but will the new Climate Council be truly independent?

The newly-formed Climate Council has been swamped with A$160,000 in donations and so many followers that its Twitter account has been repeatedly suspended. But experts warn that concerns about its independence…
Peter Dutton and Tanya Plibersek at the National Press Club where, like the rest of the campaign, the parties seemed to vie to be blander. Penny Bradfield/AAP

Bland is best? Bipartisan health platform left no room for policy

The dictionary has many words that could describe health policy in the 2013 federal election campaign – anodyne, soporific and vapid all come to mind. Australia’s health policy problems cannot afford the…
We all know what’s happened, but what happens next? Mitch Duncan/AAP

Election 2013 results and the future: experts respond

Australia has elected a Coalition government. So what will this mean for key policy areas? Our experts take a closer look at what’s in store for business, the economy, the environment, the National Broadband…
What would the role of government be if, as expected, Tony Abbott wins Saturday’s election? What do Australians expect of government in 2013? AAP/Alan Porritt

Election 2013 Essays: What is government for?

Election 2013 Essays: As the federal election campaign draws to a close, The Conversation asked eminent thinkers to reflect on the state of the nation and the challenges Australia – and whichever party…
Health minister Tanya Plibersek and shadow health minister Peter Dutton shake hands at the conclusion of the health debate at the National Press Club. Penny Bradfield/AAP

Health debate echoes past and shows no vision for more reform

Today, the National Press Club hosted a debate between minister for health Tanya Plibersek and shadow minister Peter Dutton. I went to Canberra for the show and what was outstanding about this debate was…
Worrying about the number of medical intern places means we have lost sight of health priorities. Al Power

Should medical intern policy just be about numbers of places?

The issue of training places for new medical graduates was again in the news last week when Health Minister Tanya Plibersek announced A$8 million to expand medical intern places in rural private hospitals…
California isn’t just controlling its own emissions, but the emissions it benefits from. Kenneth Lu

California calling: Australia isn’t alone on carbon action

Australia will not be linking its emissions trading scheme to California any time soon. But Australia will have to increase its emissions reduction targets to between 15-25% below 2000 levels by 2020…
Public-private partnerships mean government s don’t have to pay the full capital costs of hospitals up front but they’re far from risk-free. Image from shutterstock.com

Public-private hospital partnerships are risky business

Public-private partnerships for new hospital developments are again in vogue in Australia, with recent announcements that Sydney’s new northern beaches hospital and the new Sunshine Coast University Hospital…
The increase in medical graduates means there’s not enough internships to allow them to practice. So who is given priority and why? Doctor image from www.shutterstock.com

FactCheck: are international medical graduates given priority over Australian doctors?

“At the moment, we’ve got international graduates who are getting preference over Australian doctors in some states.” - Australian Medical Association president Steve Hambleton, National Press Club Address…
Despite our anxiety, the world isn’t likely to end when the boom does. Wikimedia Commons

How we learnt to stop worrying and love the boom

The biggest mining boom in Australian history since the gold rush of the 1850s is about to change shape. The investment phase of the boom, which has seen A$400 billion invested in the last decade, is tapering…
We’re comfortable buying things we can touch, but we can get used to a market in intangibles. Jeremy Brooks

Can there be a ‘free market’ in carbon?

Many are puzzled by the political theory of carbon markets. Why does the Institute for Public Affairs – a libertarian think tank – oppose a market in carbon? Tim Wilson, for example, thinks that private…
A new report shows that universities that conduct a large amount of research aren’t necessarily better at teaching. Lecture image from www.shutterstock.com

Is university research good for teaching?

Australian higher education is dominated by its universities, and therefore by institutions that have dual teaching and research missions. There is a long debate about whether these two activities complement…
Australia’s energy regulations need a clean up. Flickr/Looking Glass

Energy reform key to productivity, paves way for carbon action

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd ducked the question of changes to carbon pricing in his National Press Club address yesterday. But he put energy market reform at the top of his “New National Competitiveness…
New higher education minister Kim Carr is considering a rethink on the opening up of university places. AAP/Julian Smith

Should higher education student numbers be capped?

Australia may be going through higher education ministers at an extraordinary rate, but they seem determined to use their time in office. First Craig Emerson announced major funding cuts to universities…
Reducing carbon pollution has bi-partisan support. It wouldn’t hurt to re-open debate on the method. takver/flickr

Switching carbon from fixed price to ETS: should Rudd do it?

Carbon pricing has helped to destroy three political leaders - Malcolm Turnbull, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard - since 2009. Why would a re-minted Prime Minister Rudd want to touch such a poisoned chalice…
Worried about the future of maths and science in Australia? More graduates is not the answer. Bubble image from www.shutterstock.com

A bubble about to burst: why we don’t need more maths and science graduates

MATHS AND SCIENCE EDUCATION: We’ve asked our authors about the state of maths and science education in Australia and its future direction. Today, Andrew Norton argues that government promotion of science…

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