The Issues Tree

"Profit motives drive better quality in education."  Do they?  This episode unpacks the relationship between funding models and outcomes in early childhood education and care, and evolving innovations in education pathways into careers. Caroline Croser-Barlow reveals surprising evidence on quality across different provider types. Jade Grieve brings international best practice from New Yo...

Australia's health system is under pressure – hospitals are overwhelmed, aged care is struggling, and regional communities are underserved. Dr Rachel David, CEO of Private Healthcare Australia, reveals the pressures across our health system and why public and private need to work together.  In the second half of the program, Mandala’s Minh An Tran interviews Angelique Wan from Consent Labs on...

In Australia, one in seven adults and one in six children are living in poverty, even though we are the world's 15th largest economy. So why is poverty such an enduring challenge in Australia? And what are the opportunities to improve this?  Former Minister Jenny Macklin unpacks why JobSeeker is the gaping hole in Australia's safety net and how an increase to JobSeeker could lift individuals...

“The care sector is stuck in old ways of doing things."  But is it? We dismantle the myth that innovation doesn’t happen in social services and show what’s possible when we think beyond traditional service delivery. Mark Woodland built an AI platform that reduced disability service wait times from 12 months to weeks. Liz Cameron-Smith shares how Youth Foyers are mobilising capital to end...