20 Results

Anti-adoption advocates want adoptions banned in all circumstances. But the issue is more nuanced than that, writes Centre for Independent Studies research fellow Jeremy Sammut.

Crikey readers have their say.

The federal government is adding another serious question to its social and financial policy competence by informing the public that it is proceeding with the promised evaluation of the New Income Management Program.

Treasury’s brief to the incoming government calls for broad-scale welfare reform, among other cost-cutting measures. But welfare groups say the reforms outlined in the so-called Red Book are ineffective and risk discriminating against some of the most marginal people in the community, writes Jane Vashti Ryan.

Jenny Macklin’s response to the latest evidence that Income Management doesn’t work is only the latest example of anti-evidence based decisions in the welfare system, writes Eva Cox

Labor is doing virtually nothing about Australia’s huge middle-class welfare system. The Australian public sector is living beyond its means such that big tax rises and spending cuts are inevitable.

All those commitments Kevin Rudd is making to the states to buy their support for health reform will add up to more middle-class welfare. Whoever wins out of this, taxpayers will be the losers.

The reforms to Centrelink’s entitlements for same-sex relationships takes money from gay people on low incomes and gives it to richer couples, writes Daniel Stubbs.

As the government prepares to roll out income management to all Australian welfare recipients, health policy experts ask: will it actually improve Australian’s health and wellbeing? A resounding “NO”.

The government’s plan to extend income management beyond the NT intervention to the rest of Australia is good policy, says former Howard government adviser David Moore. Tough love is needed to protect women and children.

To force young people into training or education is cruel and unproductive, especially in the bush. It is a very brutal way of reducing the youth unemployment statistics, writes Lionel Elmore.

Australia has an unfair, warped and immensely costly approach to incomes policy and the coming budget is the ideal time to start the long process of fixing it.

Following up your story on the Film School, you might like to look at how many head teachers and senior executives have left since the coming of Sandra Levy. Two senior executives have left in the past few months and several heads of department (eg. Head of Television) have also left. A birdy with told […]

On Saturday, Mr Garrett officially launched the ALP’s arts policy. But ArtStart suddenly disappeared from the official speeches and the press releases approved by Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd’s office, writes Nicholas Pickard.

Whatever happened to reconciliation? … Abdel Bari Atwan … the Tabcorp credit bet prosecution … Law of the gun at work in Burringurrah … Liberal Party leadership … Terry Hicks on David Hicks …