Legal Advocacy

The court proceedings of two legal cases are featured on videos together with the accompanying legal notes.

Roach v AEC and Commonwealth of Australia (Prisoners’ Voting Rights Case) Appeal To County Court of Victoria – Holly Tara Creenaune (Environmental Activist)

The Australian Economy

In this essay Ian McCauley reviews the state of the Australian economy, the manner in which it has weathered the Global Financial Crisis emerging with low unemployment, low inflation, strong economic growth and very low public debt. He notes, however, that these indicators of prosperity have pushed into the background weaknesses in Australia’s economic structure. In the light of these strengths and weaknesses he sets out the policy challenges faced by the Australian economy.

Corruption: the abuse of entrusted power in Australia

In this essay, former Supreme Court Judge Tim Smith explores corruption in Australia: why it matters, how it thrives and what is needed to contain it. He analyses some of our worst corruption scandals. He compares the systems now in place to control corruption with more comprehensive models and asks why governments in Australia have not done all that can reasonably be done to to contain corruption.

Global Poverty

Global poverty has complex causes and wide-ranging effects. In this essay Michelle Sowey examines the scale of the problem together with its impacts. It also considers a range of approaches to reducing poverty, and reviews the status of global action aimed at achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The essay concludes with a reminder of the great human significance of alleviating poverty.

In or Out? Building an Inclusive Nation

In this powerful essay, Professor Paul Smyth one of Australia’s leading social policy experts argues that it is high time Australia embarked on a period of nation building in the ‘Australian Way’. Our welfare system, he says, is out of date and we are sorely in need of a new social policy architecture to shape the nation. From this perspective Paul Smyth develops an argument for a radical policy renewal to reshape and integrate the economic and social policies of government. He argues that by linking the concepts of social inclusion and social investment we can reduce the impact of disadvantage for the benefit of all Australians.

Gen Y Housing Aspirations Could Depend on a Housing Inheritance

“In recent years the issue of intergenerational fairness has become more pronounced as the material conditions for Gen Y appear to be declining when contrasted with their parents, the Baby Boomer generation...”

Gough Whitlam in context: a revisionist exercise

“Since its revival in 1977, this is the 33rd Daniel Mannix Memorial Lecture. Its emphasis is biographical. Only two subjects have been spoken about twice: Sir Robert Menzies by Paul Hasluck in 1979 and Malcolm Fraser in 1987; and Gough Whitlam, first commemorated by Kim Beazley in 1999, now by me...”

Warming to a Global Challenge

“Climate change is one of the most hotly debated issues of this century. Politicians have risen and fallen on its wake, elections have been fought around it, and international leaders have come under unprecedented scrutiny by civil society for their action – or inaction – in addressing it. As Australia is battered by hotter summers, more frequent and severe floods, devastating bushfires, water shortages in capital cities, and coastal erosion on its beaches, the question ‘is climate change the cause?’ is being asked more and more frequently...”

Recent Developments in and New Possibilities for Australian Philanthropy

“In some respects, 2010 was a remarkable year for Australian philanthropy. It began with general relief that the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) appeared to be over; included the need for many foundations to adjust their granting strategies due to the delayed flow-on effects from the GFC as the major source of income for most foundations, corporate dividends, was cut; and, ended with the High Court’s decision in the Aid/Watch case, which creates new possibilities for Australian philanthropy to engage more in systemic change...”

Questions of Dependence and Sustainability

“In 1997 UNESCO proclaimed a ‘Declaration on the Responsibilities of the Present Generations towards Future Generations’. This declaration sets down the core responsibilities, which the present generations should assume, including but not limited to: the responsibility to underpin and promote the socio-economic development of future generations through the fair and prudent use of available resources, including a nation’s economic, fiscal and budgetary resources...”