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	Carbon taxes vs emissions trading JOHN QUIGGIN spells out the arguments for tradeable emissions permits Black hole in the basin "fix" The new Murray-Darling management structure is set to fail, writes JACK WATERFORD Without fear or favour We will soon see evidence of how the Rudd government sees the High Court, writes GEORGE WILLIAMS No longer tuned in to master's voice Online digital environments are inviting all of us to participate actively in our own learning write ERICA McWILLIAM and NORMAN JACKSON. Go to Comment Archives >



	Fuel for thought - the future of transport fuels: challenges and opportunities CSIRO Future Fuels Forum This report articulates a range of plausible scenarios for the future of transport fuels in Australia. Posted 11-07-2008 Report to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship on the appropriate use of ministerial powers under the Migration and Citizenship Acts and migration regulations Elizabeth Proust / Department of Immigration and Citizenship This report examines the extent to which the minister should make personal decisions and whether alternative arrangements could be pursued. She makes six recommendations focusing on immediate steps to manage the current processes as well as identifying possible changes for the future. Posted 10-07-2008 Between a hard rock and a soft space: design, creative practice and innovation John H Howard / Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences This paper discusses the contribution that the arts, humanities and social sciences can make to innovation systems and innovation policy by embedding design and creative practice in innovation. Posted 10-07-2008 Where have all the children gone?: Trends in the childlessness of professional women in Australia Riyana Miranti and others / NATSEM This paper focuses on whether the gap in fertility between women with higher education and in professional occupations and other women has narrowed or widened across time. Posted 10-07-2008 An assessment of the impact of climate change on the nature and frequency of exceptional climatic events Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO The Australian Government commissioned the Bureau of Meteorology and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to undertake a climatic assessment of the likely future climate patterns and the current Exceptional Circumstances standard of a one-in-20-to-25-year-event. Posted 10-07-2008 Review of skills and workforce development in South Australia: Final report Michael Keating / Economic Development Board, Government of South Australia This report states that South Australia is on the cusp of a new growth path. Effectively South Australia has the opportunity to achieve a paradigm shift to a new higher rate of sustained economic and employment growth, stimulated initially by new opportunities from mining and defence. Posted 09-07-2008 Managing Australian landscapes in a changing climate: a climate change primer for regional natural resource management bodies Andrew Campbell / Department of Climate Change This report argues that climate change is not just another natural resource management (NRM) issue, although Australia's 56 regional NRM bodies are at the front line of tackling sustainability challenges on the ground. Posted 09-07-2008 CDEP: help or hindrance? Sara Hudson / Centre for Independent Studies This report looks at the Community Development Employment Program and its impact on Indigenous Australians. Posted 09-07-2008 Life course transitions and housework: marriage, parenthood, and time on housework Janeen Baxter, Belinda Hewitt and Michele Haynes / The University of Queensland Social Research Centre Men's housework time across most transitions is extraordinarily stable whereas women's time changes considerably in the transition to parenthood, according to this article, suggesting this is a critical moment in the development of an unequal gap in time spent on routine household labor. Posted 09-07-2008 The effects of non-standard employment on work-family conflict Amanda Hosking and Mark Western / The University of Queensland Social Research Centre This article explores whether non-standard employment is associated with greater or reduced work–family conflict among employed parents and whether experiences vary by gender. Posted 09-07-2008 More than one health insurer is too many: the case for a single insurer Ian McAuley / Centre for Policy Development This paper explores the limitations of Australia's current private health insurance system and explains how a single national health insurer can overcome these problems. Posted 09-07-2008 Marriage breakdown in Australia: social correlates, gender and initiator status Belinda Hewitt / Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs This paper aims to obtain a better understanding of marriage breakdown in the Australian context, with a particular focus on gender differences in the social correlates of marriage breakdown. Posted 08-07-2008 Parenting and families in Australia Stephen R. Zubrick, Grant J. Smith, Jan M. Nicholson, Ann V. Sanson, Tanyana A. Jackiewicz and the LSAC Research Consortium / Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs This paper examines parenting styles and family functioning; factors influencing parents' feelings and perceptions about the way they parent their children; the roles and contributions of parents who do not live with their children; feelings of stress and sources of social support for parents; and the relationship of parenting practices to child outcomes. Posted 08-07-2008 Water market rules Australian Competition and Consumer Commission The water market rules are designed to ensure that operators of irrigation infrastructure who hold a group water access entitlement on behalf of their member irrigators do not unreasonably prevent or delay trade. This position paper seeks submissions on the development of the rules. Posted 08-07-2008 Modelling economy-wide effects of future TCF assistance Productivity Commission Economy-wide benefits would flow from further reductions in the relatively high tariffs on textile, clothing and footware imports, according to this report. Assistance reductions would involve some further contraction of the TCF sector, but this would be outweighed by expansion of other industries resulting from cost reductions. Posted 08-07-2008 Australia's experience in the sub-prime crisis John Edwards / Macroeconomics Group, Treasury The sub-prime crisis shows that it is not enough for Australia to regulate its own financial system well, according to this paper. It is also in Australia's interests to work towards forms of global coordination, global monitoring and global crisis response which lessen the frequency and duration of these financial shocks. Posted 08-07-2008 Reforming our Constitution House Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee It is nine years since the last referendum was held to amend the Australian Constitution, and it is over 30 years since there was a successful referendum to amend Australia's Constitution. This report advocates greater public debate on constitutional reform, and describes a series of key issues. Posted 08-07-2008 Chronology of superannuation and retirement income in Australia Leslie Nielson and Barbara Harris / Information and Research Services, Parliamentary Library Retirement income and superannuation have been significant themes for the federal government since Federation. This chronology notes some of the significant dates in the development of the current retirement income system. Posted 08-07-2008 Parliamentary allowances, benefits and salaries of office Leanne Manthorpe / Information and Research Services, Parliamentary Library The issue of parliamentary salaries, allowances and benefits generates public discussion and attracts media opinion. This background note provides relevant data, hyperlinks and documents pertaining to the entitlements of Australian federal parliamentarians. Posted 08-07-2008 Child social exclusion: an updated index from the 2006 Census Justine McNamara and others / NATSEM Much research about child poverty and disadvantage provides national estimates of child wellbeing, however, an increasing body of evidence suggests that there can be major differences in well-being between children living in different geographic areas. Posted 08-07-2008 Developing a road map for research: Identifying the priorities for a national child protection research agenda Leah Bromfield and Fiona Arney / Australian Institute of Family Studies This report discusses the relevance of "evidence-based" and "evidence-informed" policy and practice to the professionals at the coal-face working with vulnerable children and families. Posted 08-07-2008 Timing of mothers' return to work after childbearing: Variations by job Jennifer Baxter / Australian Institute of Family Studies Maternal employment rates are lowest in the first year of a child's life, as women leave or take a break from employment to care for an infant. Within this first year, however, there is considerable variation of maternal employment rates as some women make their way back to the workforce. Posted 08-07-2008 More than a bed: Sydney's homeless speak out Wesley Mission This report examines the causes of homelessness and the reasons why people remain homeless. It is based on interviews with some of the most marginalised in our community, who were asked about the factors that had driven them to homelessness and what measures would improve their quality of life and help them overcome homelessness. Posted 08-07-2008 Asian military trends and their implications for Australia Andrew Davies / Australian Strategic Policy Institute Australia's military capability edge in the Asian region has been facilitated by a relative economic advantage that is now eroding. Asian militaries are now expanding and acquiring sophisticated capabilities. This paper examines the drivers of this trend and looks at the implications for Australia. Posted 08-07-2008 A fairer Victoria 2008: Strong people, strong communities Department of Planning and Community Development, State Government of Victoria A Fairer Victoria is a whole of Government social policy action plan to address disadvantage and promote inclusion and participation. Posted 05-07-2008 Garnaut Climate Change Review: draft report Ross Garnaut and others / Garnaut Climate Change Review Australians are facing risks of damaging climate change. Without strong and early action by Australia and all major economies we are likely to face severe and costly impacts on Australia's prosperity and enjoyment of life, according to this draft report. Posted 05-07-2008 Policing and cannabis use in Australia Julia Tresidder and Carly Shaddock / National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre and Australian Institute of Criminology Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in Australia and community views about cannabis use are divided. Police strategies that involve proactive policing and include effective partnerships with other stakeholders in their local community may be the most effective strategies in regards to drug law enforcement. Posted 05-07-2008 Trends in violent crime Samantha Bricknell / Australian Institute of Criminology Sustained media attention combined with high-profile incidents, have prompted the view among the Australian public that violent crime is increasing. Trends in violent crime reported to police since the early 1990s however, reveal a mixed story. Posted 05-07-2008 Environmental harm and crime prevention Rob White / Australian Institute of Criminology This paper discusses what can be learned from traditional crime prevention to reduce and prevent environmental harm. Posted 05-07-2008 Diversion of Indigenous juvenile offenders Lucy Snowball / Australian Institute of Criminology This study examined juveniles' contact with the police and courts, and the differences in conferencing and cautioning rates for Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia in 2005. Posted 05-07-2008 Women's sexual and reproductive health: A literature review Karolyne Quinn and Jenny Ejlak / Women's Health Victoria This review looks at women's sexual health and sexuality as dynamic and changing throughout life. It identifies some of the social aspects of sexual health and sexuality that impact on and influence women and men's behaviours. Addressing these social determinants can decrease risk behaviour and increase health benefits for all women. Posted 05-07-2008 Go to Report Archives JOBS Research consultant / Senior research consultant Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) at UTS Closing date: 14/07/2008 Director, Research Synthesis Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Melbourne Closing date: 16/07/2008 EVENTS Conference Web Directions South New Item 23 - 26 September, Sydney NSW Web directions south Forum Indonesia Calling: Indonesian Arts Today New Item Friday 18 July, Melbourne VIC Asialink Public lecture People and policy: Connecting India - Australia interests New Item 16 July, Melbourne VIC Asialink Seminar How will changing disease patterns affect the future burden of disability at older ages? New Item Tuesday 15 July, Canberra ACT NATSEM, University of Canberra Seminar Water and Natural Resource Mapping Water Flow Allocation and Indigenous Natural Resource Mapping: Empowering Communities New Item Wednesday 30 July, Canberra ACT Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research Call For Papers The Rudd Revolution? New Item Deadline: Friday 15 August 2008 National Centre for Applied Social Research (CASR) Conference ANZSOG Annual Conference 2008 - Making Federalism Work New Item Thursday 11 - Friday 12 September, Melbourne VIC Australia and New Zealand School of Government Conference The Rudd Revolution? New Item Friday 28 November, Melbourne VIC Centre for Applied Social Research (CASR)