Policy Forum Pod podcastit

Kicking off 2023, we discuss a public service reckoning with the failure of Robodebt, and its path to rebuilding trust. Sharon and Arnagretta sit down with the new Director of the Crawford School of Public Policy, Professor Janine O’Flynn to see where the year will take us. Professor Janine O’Flynn's research interests are in public management, esp…

On the final episode of Policy Forum Pod for 2022, Katherine Trebeck and Millie Rooney join us to reflect on this year’s big policy issues and consider the opportunities for change that lie before us. What were the policy highlights and lowlights of the year? Where are the opportunities for transformative change in 2023? In the last instalment of P…

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Siobhan McDonnell and George Carter join us to share their experiences inside the COP27 negotiations in Egypt and why the agreement on a ‘loss and damage’ fund was a landmark moment in global climate change discussions. What does the historic agreement to establish a ‘loss and damage’ fund at this United Nations…

Valerie Cooms from The Australian National University joins us on this episode to discuss justice reinvestment, the importance of the whole Australian community embracing First Nations languages, and progress towards a constitutionally-enshrined Voice to Parliament. Is the allocation of $81.5 million for justice reinvestment initiatives in the rece…

In the final instalment in our series on housing, Executive Director of Anglicare Australia Kasy Chambers joins us to discuss the dire state of housing affordability and how policymakers can turn things around. Housing affordability, particularly in Australia’s private rental market, is an issue of major concern for people on low incomes. According…

Joel Dignam from Better Renting and Farzana Choudhury from Canberra Community Law join us to discuss housing accessibility and justice on this episode of Policy Forum Pod. How do poor housing conditions affect people’s health and wellbeing, particularly in the context of a cost-of-living crisis? How can policymakers ensure all Australians have acce…

To kick off a new bundle of episodes on housing, we discuss the impact of climate change on planning and housing policy with Barbara Norman, Emeritus Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Canberra. As the global population heads towards at least nine billion and pressure on the natural environment increases, how must policym…

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, John Falzon joins Sharon Bessell and Arnagretta to examine the new Australian government’s first budget and what it means for equity and wellbeing. What does the new government’s budget mean for the millions of Australians living below the poverty line? Does the government have the political will to build a new …

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, higher education and public policy leaders Helen Sullivan and Janine O'Flynn join us to discuss Australia’s higher education system and how universities can change to better foster fearless future leadership. What role do universities play in our contemporary, globalised world? How can universities advance equit…

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, we speak to former teacher Alice Garner and award-winning author and educator Pasi Sahlberg about transforming the teaching profession in Australia. What needs to change so that teaching is a respected, valued profession in Australia - on par with medicine and law? How can policymakers better support teachers to…

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, education experts Kitty te Riele and Jennifer Skattebol join us to discuss how the education system can ensure all children have access to high quality education. How can policymakers ensure students with challenging behaviours and their teachers are receiving enough care and support in the classroom? What role …

To kick off our new series of episodes on education, Deborah Brennan and Leonora Risse join us to discuss how to create a world-class childcare and early education system. How could the Australian government provide universal childcare, making it available and affordable for all? What can the country do for the early education and care workforce to…

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, political economist Katherine Trebeck and author and advocate Tim Hollo join us to discuss reshaping political and economic systems that help us to better care for ourselves, each other, and the planet. To deal with the major challenges that society faces, will small policy adjustments shift the status quo, or i…

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, we discuss how ‘low-value’ health care is causing harm to patients and what policymakers can do to address it. How can policymakers and health professionals reduce ‘low-value care’, improve outcomes for patients, and address the health system’s carbon footprint? What is the impact of waste and inefficiency on th…

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 Austr…

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 t…

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 …