Dr Raelene West @raelene_west
As the inquiry into Robodebt reveals the depth of Australia’s shame over its treatment of welfare recipients, Dr Tjanara Goreng Goreng, Wakka Wakka Wulli Wulli woman, academic, unionist, former public servant and proud grandmother, answers the question: ‘What opportunities and challenges does a universal basic income (UBI) present for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities?
Read MoreAboriginal academic Dr Sharynne Hamilton describes how her research co-partnership with Elders in the Perth Aboriginal community has lead to a clear path of action to achieve justice in child protection grounded in respect, and commnunity control.
Read MoreToday’s post is from Megan Beatrice (@megbeatrice), who is pursuing her PhD in Law at RMIT. Using the lens of intersectionality, Megan urges us to go beyond bail reform and think about how we can address the deep colonial practices embedded within the criminal justice system.
Read More2022 saw a lot of movement in the policy space, including a change in the Federal government and the largest number of independent candidates elected to office. There are many policy-related issues that are currently in flux, as indicated by royal commissions, law suits, the question of Indigenous Voice to Parliament, responses to climate change, continued management of COVID-19 and the economic reset that it caused, inflation, reforming the safety net, and fundamental questions about how government governs and is held accountable.
Read MoreIn today’s analysis, Phoebe Nagorcka-Smith (@PNagorckaSmith) of Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand (@GoodShepANZ) uses evidence from their recent ‘Safety net for sale’ report to explore how Buy Now Pay Later is used to trap family violence victim-survivors in debt, and why regulation is key to preventing it.
Read MoreIn today’s analysis, Megan Elias discusses the impact of recent reforms to abortion law in Western Australia. Megan is a women’s and sexual health professional based in Boorloo, working across government and the not-for-profit sector. Megan is WA representative and Secretary for the Australian Women’s Health Network (@AusWomensHealth).
Read MoreIn today’s post, CR Byrne draws on her experience to explore how Australia’s welfare system creates barriers to support for people with chronic illness and disability. CR Byrne is an activist and photographer.
Read MoreWomen experience greater barriers to achieving financial wellbeing than men. In today’s analysis, David Prior and Imogen Morgan of Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand (@GoodShepANZ) and Michael Joyce from Financial Inclusion Action Plan (FIAP) explore how existing workforce gender inequalities were magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the role employers can play in supporting their employees’ financial wellbeing.
Read MoreThe sheer scale of placement breakdown and change for children in care in the UK has gathered increasing attention in recent years. We know that children and young people in residential care are more likely to experience placement breakdown and movement, often due to entering care later in adolescence, or being placed children’s homes which are inappropriate to meet their needs as a short term or emergency measure. It has also been noted that private residential placements can pose significant financial costs to local authority children’s services. In this blog, Helen Woods argues that it is vital then to consider what contributes to the success or failure of a residential placement.
Read MoreAustralia’s health system is complex web of health services provided by government, the private sector and the non-for-profit sector. As our understanding of deferred and unmet need evolves following the shocks to the Australian health system as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, questions arise as to the contribution and sustainability of private health insurance. How might consumer behaviours change as we continue to head into dark economic waters? How will State and Commonwealth Governments respond? Can this dead cat continue to bounce? Stephen Gow with Open Advisory Services examines recent private health insurance trends and provokes critique of assumptions for the future.
Read MoreCapturing the consumer voice by integrating the breadth and depth of lived experience is the fundamental to responsive social policy.
How can we listen, acknowledge, and honour the voice of our diverse communities, including those in the community that are living in crisis yet whose insights can reveal fundamental cracks in the system not otherwise observable by those that work in it? Is an interview or a focus group enough? Can one’s story be covered across the language divide in 30 minutes or do we need 60 minutes?
Ela Stewart with InTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence explores some of the nuance required to assure a fundamental respect for those with which partners seek to engage.
Read More
