Policy Forum Pod

In 1991, more than 90 per cent of Asia’s population lived in low-income countries. By 2015, the wealth of the region had taken a dramatic turn, so much so that more than 95 per cent now live in middle-income countries. What has this change meant for the region, and what will it take to shift gear again and reach high-income status? On this week’s Policy Forum Pod, economists Donghyun Park and Rola...

Worldwide, around 225 million women who want to avoid pregnancy do not have access to safe family planning methods. What does this mean for health and development, and what can policymakers do about it? This question was one of the several topics discussed when Policy Forum’s Martyn Pearce and Crawford School’s Sharon Bessell sat down for a chat with Executive Director of the United Nations Popula...

The United Nations predicts that two-thirds of the world will live in cities by 2050. Policymakers have begun to grapple with the economic and environmental consequences of this wave of urbanisation, but what are the implications for human health and mental wellbeing? On this week's Policy Forum Pod, Professor Nikolas Rose discusses the global move from the countryside to the metropolis, and how t...

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has revealed plans for a multibillion dollar extension to the Snowy Hydro-electric scheme, in what he has called a “game-changing” development for Australia’s energy market. But does the proposal hold water? In this week’s Policy Forum Pod Extra, Frank Jotzo, Matthew Stocks, and Ken Baldwin take us through what Snowy Hydro 2.0 might mean for Australian en...

China is a country of big numbers. Not only does it boast the world’s largest population, but it also has the world’s biggest political party overseeing what is probably the world’s largest bureaucracy. How does this system not only function, but manage on occasion to roll out deep policy reforms at speed? On this Policy Forum Pod, Ryan Manuel takes a look the accomplishments, confusions and contr...

The relationship between science and policy can be difficult at the best of times. Professor Sir John Beddington knows this better than most. In his time as the United Kingdom's Chief Scientific Advisor, he dealt with a number of emergencies, including the swine flu epidemic, the volcanic ash incident that closed Eastern Atlantic air space, and the Fukushima nuclear incident. In this week’s Policy...

In an ideal world, public policy would be grounded in evidence and research, drawing upon the best available knowledge from the disciplines of science, humanities and economics. In the real world, however, policy decisions are all too often divorced from evidence-based research. In this week’s Policy Forum Pod, Karen Hussey, Kathleen Segerson and Suzi Kerr discuss the gap that exists between polic...

America’s Secret War in Laos was a proxy conflict fought during the height of the war in Vietnam in the 1960s, and was orchestrated by the US Central Intelligence Agency. While the enormous devastation inflicted upon Laos during the war is now well-known, the details of the CIA’s role has, until now, been a tale left largely untold. In this Policy Forum Pod, Josh Kurlantzick discusses his new book...

Universities have long been valued for their role in creating knowledge – knowledge which can hopefully be used for the betterment of society and humankind. But in the age of social media and in what has been called a world of ‘post-truth’ politics, are the best ideas of our scholars and academic institutions cutting through? In the new Policy Forum Pod, experts Asit Biswas and James Giggacher dis...

For decades, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been used by just about every country in the world as the most important measure of wealth and progress. In the new Policy Forum Pod, experts Ehsan Masood, Ida Kubiszewski, and Bob Costanza discuss why the world is so obsessed with GDP, whether we should keep using it, and if not – what we might replace it with. Ehsan Masood is a well-known science jou...

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has announced Australia will develop a new Foreign Policy White Paper, its first since 2003. What has changed for Australian foreign affairs over the last 13 years, and what foreign policy decisions should the new White Paper prioritise over the next decade? In the new Policy Forum Pod, Professor Michael Wesley joins Policy Forum Editor Martyn Pearce to dis...

Three experts discuss the concerns around the Australian Census, how the data is used by researchers, and why the census website went offline on its big night. At 7.30pm, on the night of 9 August, as the government was urging people to login and complete the census online, the website specifically designed to collect data directly from Australia’s 24 million strong population, was taken offline fo...

In a new Policy Forum Pod two leading experts shed some light on the disturbing human rights violations being committed on Phnom Penh’s homeless people in contemporary Cambodia. Cambodia is a country whose recent past was plagued by extreme violence: large-scale bombing, civil war, invasion and genocide, acts that in total killed more than two million people over two decades. But it’s also a count...

What would you do if your income were taken care of? In this Policy Forum Pod, four leading experts discuss the idea of a basic income - how it works, what it could do, and what it could mean for the future of the welfare state. In conversation with Policy Forum Editor Martyn Pearce are Professor Guy Standing, Dr Charles Murray, Professor Peter Whiteford, and Professor Olli Kangas. Guy Standing is...

The Permanent Court of Arbitration has ruled in favour of the Philippines in its dispute with China over the South China Sea. It's a historic ruling and one that will be a game-changer in one of the region's flashpoints. In this Policy Forum Pod extra, two experts discuss the ruling, what it means for China and the region, and what comes next for the Philippines. In conversation with Policy Forum...

In a special Australian Policy Pod, experts from Crawford School of Public Policy discuss the outcome of the Australian Federal Election on Saturday 2 July. The panelists look at the policy highs and lows of the long campaign, which policies resonated with voters, and what the next few years holds in store for whoever eventually makes up the next government. The panellists are: Professor Quentin G...

Is the Asia-Pacific region doing enough to tackle gender inequality? And how can public policy help to address women's rights and ensure greater opportunities in the workforce? In this Policy Forum Pod, Kelly Hayward talks to two experts about the challenges facing women in Asia, and the obstacles preventing gender equality throughout the region. Helping to unpack these issues are: * Associate Pro...

On 23 June Britain heads to the polls in a referendum that will decide whether or not the country stays in the EU - the so-called 'Brexit' vote. In this Policy Forum Pod, three experts give a distinctly Asia-Pacific take on the issues, looking at how it came about, what the consequences might be whichever way the vote goes, and what it will mean for the Asia-Pacific region. The interviewees are: P...

The Paris climate agreement was a landmark agreement bringing together 175 countries. But can governments around the world turn a diplomatic victory into an economic and environmental win? And what's the future of the agreement under a new US President? In conversation with Fiona Benson are two leading experts on the Paris agreement, Professor Ottmar Edenhofer and Associate Professor Frank Jotzo....

Health policy is at the core of the 2016 Federal Election, regularly ranked as the issue most important to voters. In this event, ANU health policy experts discuss where the parties stand and what's missing from the debate. The panel for this week was Professor Sharon Friel, Director, RegNet, ANU, Professor Art Sedrakyan, Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Research School of Popula...

In the latest of our 'The Vote' Australian election series events, a panel of experts look at the issues, policies and promises in the area of social policy of the 2016 Federal Election campaign. The panel for this week are Professor Matt Gray of the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods and Professor Peter Whiteford, Associate Professor Sharon Bessell and Sue Regan from the ANU Crawford Scho...

In the fourth of our Australian federal election series, some of the University's most respected economic experts discuss the key tax and economic issues during the 2016 election campaign. Panellists: Professor Miranda Stewart Director, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute Associate Professor Maria Racionero Research School of Economics, ANU Dr John Hewson Professor, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute...

Three of the University's leading security and foreign affairs experts look at how the 2016 election might change the way Australia deals with the rest of the world. Panellists: Professor Rory Medcalf Director, National Security College, Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific Professor Michael Wesley Director, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, ANU College of...

This is the first of our special live events looking at key policy areas in the Australian election campaign. The events are held live every Tuesday at Crawford School of Public Policy at the ANU, Canberra in the run-up to the 2 July poll. Find out more and register at http://www.anu.edu.au/events/the-vote-2016-federal-election Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia is getting set to head to the polls. But what policy areas are likely to feature over the coming weeks, and what policy issues are likely to be ignored? In this Australian election special pod, policy experts Quentin Grafton, Sue Regan and Bob Cotton chat with Martyn Pearce about what has been promised, what might be promised, what will be promised, and what should be promised. Hosted on...