Hospital discharges to ‘no fixed address’

Editor's note

Life on the street is no place to recover from a stay in hospital, yet it happens to many people who are homeless. But, writes Lisa Wood, there’s a proven model of medical respite centres to provide care and support. Better yet, it delivers long-term healthcare cost savings. So why does Australia have so few of these centres?

Conventional wisdom says swapping stamp duty for land tax is about the best economic reform that states can make. Cameron Murray takes issue with the consensus and asks whether swapping a good tax for another good (but less popular) tax is really the best that we can do.

And for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, summit season presents his first major foreign policy test. After several early diplomatic stumbles, Susan Harris Rimmer writes, it’s important he reads his policy briefs, listens to the diplomats and stays humble.

John Watson

Section Editor: Cities + Policy

Top story

Dr Jim O'Connell and therapy dog Maestro spend some time with a client at the medical respite centre in Boston. Courtesy of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program

Hospital discharges to ‘no fixed address’ – here’s a much better way

Lisa Wood, University of Western Australia

Life on the street is no place to recover from a stay in hospital, but that's what happens to many people who are homeless. But there's a proven model to provide care that also cuts healthcare costs.

Eliminating stamp duty would bring on more real estate transactions, but that might not be a good thing. Shutterstock

Stamp duty fever: the bad economics behind swapping stamp duty for land tax

Cameron Murray, The University of Queensland

The conventional case for swapping stamp duty for land tax will boost the economy has weak underpinnings.

After a positive start, Morrison’s relations with his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widodo, cooled off after he suggested moving the Australian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Lukas Coch/AAP

In his first major foreign policy test, Morrison needs to stick to the script

Susan Harris Rimmer, Griffith University

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has a busy summit season ahead of him. After early foreign policy stumbles, it's important he reads his briefs, listens to the diplomats and stays humble.

Business + Economy
On the offensive: why Virgin Australia gets called a publicity hound Mehran Nejati, Edith Cowan University Virgin Australia’s great military blunder of 2018 is a case study in corporate social responsibility gone wrong.

Politics + Society

Why controversial child protection reforms in NSW could lead to another Stolen Generation

Alison Whittaker, University of Technology Sydney; Terri Libesman, University of Technology Sydney

One of the state's most significant powers is the ability to remove children from their families. Potential reforms in NSW could expand this already racialised power in frightening ways.
Prepare to be forthright with Trump: Michael Fullilove

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

In a speech titled “After the Midterms” Fullilove warns Australia may need to increase its defence spending beyond the present commitment and urges the government to reverse some of its cuts to aid.

Environment + Energy

The bitter lesson of the Californian fires

David Bowman, University of Tasmania

The California fires are just the most recent in a series of major wildfires. Together, they suggest we need to look at alternative ways of living with fire.
Why is everyone talking about natural sequence farming?

Ian Rutherfurd, University of Melbourne

The farming system, lauded as a solution to drought, involves slowing water flow in streams using 'leaky weirs'.

Arts + Culture
Revolution 50: The Beatles’ White Album remixed David McCooey, Deakin University Remixing a Beatles album might be seen as both artistically redundant and cynically commercial. But this remixed classic allows us to experience the album in a new way.

Science + Technology

Taxonomy, the science of naming things, is under threat

Nic Rawlence

Taxonomists are becoming as rare as some of the species they work on, and this puts museum collections and conservation efforts under threat and increases the risk of biosecurity incursions.
How research is helping to reduce prejudice between people online

Fiona White, University of Sydney; Rachel Maunder, University of Sydney; Stefano Verrelli, University of Sydney

While social media can serve to amplify social divisions, it can also be a tool for resolving conflict between groups.

Health + Medicine

The link between terrorism and mental illness is complicated, and vilifying communities doesn’t help

Clarke Jones, Australian National University

Not all terrorist incidents have mental illness as a causal factor, and most violent acts are committed by people without a mental illness.
What is Japanese encephalitis virus and how can I avoid it when I travel?

Cameron Webb, University of Sydney; Andrew Francis van den Hurk, The University of Queensland

Japanese encephalitis virus is rare and doesn't usually cause symptoms. But in a small proportion of cases it can result in long-term neurological impairment and death.