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Category: public policy

Populate or perish – revisited, by Michael O’Neil and Peter Gill

When Australia’s first immigration minister, Arthur Calwell, declared Australia needed to “populate or perish” he was making a statement about the country’s vulnerability to invasion in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War.
While the context has changed, the recently published ABS population projections to 2066 underscores an ongoing vulnerability. However, this time, to take […]

Posted in Michael O'Neil, Peter Gill, public policy, South Australian economy | Tagged , , |

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A new start for Newstart? – Peter Gill & Michael O’Neil

Accountants have been known to say: ‘The maths don’t lie.’ If that’s the case then the calls by a range of commentators, including within the business sector, for an increase in the unemployment ‘benefit’, Newstart, have merit.
So what story do the numbers tell?
Newstart has not been increased in real terms since 1994. Adjusted only for […]

Posted in Michael O'Neil, Peter Gill, public policy, social economy | Tagged , |

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What’s the real price of hunger and poverty? – Michael O’Neil & Peter Gill

What does it say about a country that sits near the top of the list of highest income per capita nations in the world that more than four million of its people, or 18% of its population, often go hungry?
And while you consider that thought, is it surprising that we don’t know the social and […]

Posted in Contributors, Michael O'Neil, Peter Gill, public policy, social economy | Tagged , |

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Stretton Fellowship: The Value of Social Enterprise

SACES has published a new report on the Value of Social Enterprise, commissioned by the Stretton Centre, in conjunction with Housing SA, now operating as the South Australian Housing Authority (SAHA).
The report provides estimates of the social value of social enterprise using two case studies of projects operating in South Australia. The study found that […]

Posted in Andreas Cebulla, labour market, public policy, Reports, social economy | Tagged |

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South Australian Budget 2018/19

Yesterday Treasurer Rob Lucas brought down the Marshall Government’s first Budget.
The Budget foreshadows a significant contraction in the SA public sector’s share of the economy, with the ratio of expenses to GDP projected to fall from a little over 18 per cent of gross state product (GSP) in 2017/18 to 16.4 per cent of GSP […]

Posted in Jim Hancock, public policy, South Australian economy | Tagged , |

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New Report: Supporting people in social housing gain and maintain employment

The Sax Institute has published the findings of an evidence check review prepared jointly by SACES and the Centre for Housing, Urban and Regional Planning (CHURP) at the University of Adelaide.  The review identified empirical evidence of the effectiveness of measures to encourage and assist social housing tenants into paid employment. It also assessed the […]

Posted in Andreas Cebulla, public policy, Reports | Tagged , , |

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Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of human services and beyond – Tania Dey

A recent report by the Productivity Commission, examines the role of competition and contestability in achieving efficiencies in human services.  The Productivity Commission points towards well established markets for childcare, schools, optometries, GP (Medicare) and allied health professionals which demonstrates the benefits of competition.  The report acknowledges that competition or contestability may not be suitable […]

Posted in public policy, Services, Tania Dey | Tagged |

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AFL clubs focus on the game not gaming – Peter Gill and Michael O’Neil

The retreat by AFL clubs from gaming is gaining momentum with Collingwood becoming the latest Victorian club to announce that gambling will not be part of the club’s future.  This is a remarkable turnaround in the space of seven years when in 2011 AFL club presidents held a meeting in Melbourne to consider a campaign […]

Posted in Gambling Research, Michael O'Neil, Peter Gill, public policy | Tagged |

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The high cost of ‘ice’

Adelaide again attracted the unenviable moniker of ‘Ice Capital of Australia’ in the media in March with the release of the latest Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission analysis of drug use across Australia.
Adelaide’s methamphetamine (or ‘ice’) consumption, calculated through a sophisticated analysis of wastewater, was the highest of the capital cities again.
One statement in the National […]

Posted in public policy, Steve Whetton | Tagged |

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Council rates capping, inflation and state government’s role

The state government is currently legislating to cap council rate increases. The initiative arises from concerns regarding general rates rises and cost of living issues. In this post we examine how council rates have changed over time, take a closer look at the proposed legislative changes, and consider how reasonable they are.
How have council rates […]

Posted in Anthony Kosturjak, Economic reform, public policy | Tagged , |

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