|
|
|
Editor's note
|
|
The long-awaited Ruddock Religious Freedom Review has finally been released, and while details of it were leaked some time ago, we now have the government’s response. Anja Hilkemeijer writes that while the response contained few surprises, it does confirm that the government intends to fight hard on the issue, establishing a new religious freedom commissioner and pushing for a Religious Discrimination Act.
And this week, two significant media reports have been released, creating significant challenges for the government. Denis Muller examines both the ACCC’s Digital Platforms Inquiry and the government’s competitive neutrality review. The first contains some serious challenges for digital media; the second finds that the ABC and SBS are adhering to their charters and therefore acting in the public interest.
|
Amanda Dunn
Section Editor: Politics + Society
|
|
|
Top story
|
The government will establish a religious freedom commissioner and push for a Religious Discrimination Act.
AAP/Dan Himbrechts
Anja Hilkemeijer, University of Tasmania
While pushing for changes to increase protections for religious belief, the government has not yet answered if that should extend to being allowed to discriminate against LGBTI people.
|
The competitive neutrality report has given the ABC, and SBS, a clean bill of health.
Shutterstock
Denis Muller, University of Melbourne
An ACCC interim report is one of the most consequential documents for media policy in decades, while a government report finds both public broadcasters are acting in the public interest.
|
Health + Medicine
|
-
Stephen Duckett, Grattan Institute
The A$1.25 billion health funding boost isn't based on any coherent policy direction. It's designed to shore up support in marginal electorates.
-
Bronwyn Hemsley, University of Technology Sydney; Amy Freeman-Sanderson, University of Technology Sydney; Rebecca Nund, The University of Queensland
We don't often give our eating habits much thought but the 8% of the population with swallowing disability need to plan carefully to ensure their food is the right texture and eaten at the right pace.
|
|
Education
|
-
Lisa Hartley, Curtin University; Caroline Fleay, Curtin University; Rachel Burke, University of Newcastle; Sally Baker, UNSW
Federal government policies are the biggest barriers to people seeking asylum in accessing higher education in Australia.
|
|
Arts + Culture
|
-
Aileen Marwung Walsh, Australian National University
Aileen Marwung Walsh's grandparents were sent to the Moore River Native Settlement, of Rabbit Proof Fence infamy, half a century ago. In 2018, 100 years after the settlement's founding, she returned.
|
|
Science + Technology
|
-
Cris Brack, Australian National University
How useful is the information you get from the measure of any thing? That depends on what you chose measure in the first place, and that's not always clear.
-
Jake Clark, University of Southern Queensland
The comet 46P/Wirtanen is just 1.2km in size but it should be visible in the night sky ths weekend as it makes a close approach to Earth this year. And don't forget the Geminids metor shower.
|
|
Business + Economy
|
-
Warren Hogan, University of Technology Sydney
History suggests the government will spend most of the extra $10 billion per year that the MYEFO will reveal on Monday. The only problem is, those riches won't last.
-
Richard Holden, UNSW
The so-called 'Australian model' of 'asset recycling' is no miracle cure for US infrastructure problems.
-
Peter McDonald, University of Melbourne
Cutting migration to Australia's biggest cities would do nothing to ease congestion in those cities and could make it worse.
|
|
Cities
|
-
Sebastien Darchen, The University of Queensland; Glen Searle, University of Sydney
Planning innovations around the world offer inspiration, but ultimately the innovations needed to make Australia's sprawling cities more sustainable must be shaped by local conditions.
|
|
Politics + Society
|
-
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
In the lead up to next week's ALP national conference, which Shorten
needs to run smoothly, the government has been trying to exploit what
it sees as a Labor weak point – border protection.
-
Yee-Fui Ng, Monash University
The proposed integrity commission is an improvement on the patchwork of mechanisms in place now, but does not go nearly far enough to prevent and investigate corruption.
-
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Opposition leader Bill Shorten slammed the proposed body was “not a
fair dinkum anti-corruption commission”. It would be limited in scope
and power and had no transparency.
-
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Prime Minister Scott Morrison plans to create a new post of Freedom of Religion Commissioner, because he says many people of religion "feel the wheels closing in".
|
|
Environment + Energy
|
-
Samuel Alexander, University of Melbourne; Brendan Gleeson, University of Melbourne
The average consumerist suburban lifestyle is unsustainable. But what if affluent suburbanites and battlers alike ditch the rat race and embrace economic 'degrowth'? Here's how it might unfold.
|
|
Columnists
|
|
|
| |
Featured jobs
|
|
RMIT University — Melbourne, Victoria
|
|
University of Melbourne — Parkville, Victoria
|
|
Griffith University — Bundall, Queensland
|
|
Charles Sturt University — Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
