Title | Critical Reflections on Australian Public Policy |
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Language | English |
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File Size | 829.9 KB |
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Total Pages | 238 |
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Table of Contents
Foreword
Contributors
Part 1. Reflections on federalism
1. Federalism and the engine room of prosperity
Modern federalism
New financial framework reforms
Schools reform
Transparency in school reporting
Schools in low socioeconomic status communities
Conclusion
2. Does federalism work?
Victoria’s reform record
Cooperative federalism
Making federalism work better
Reform of ministerial councils
Clarifying overlapping responsibilities
Conclusion
3. What has federalism ever done for us?
What has federalism ever done for us?
What have the states ever done for us?
The system isn’t perfect
Appetite for change
Some proposals
Education and training
Health
Climate change
Opportunity for change
4. Splicing the perspectives of the Commonwealth and states into a workable federation
Griffith University’s federalism project
Twomey and Withers’ federalist paper for the Council for the Australian Federation
Victorian Skills Reform package
Key challenges for the future
COAG—a new reform framework
Health
Schools
Better ways to deliver
Conclusion and looking forward to 2009 and beyond
5. The reform imperative and Commonwealth–state relations
The reform challenge
The need for action
Evolving federalism
Vertical fiscal imbalance
National Reform Agenda
Health
National Innovation Agenda
The National Reform Agenda
GST distribution
GST ‘black box’
Our environmental challenges
Climate change
Water
Conclusion
6. Fostering creativity and innovation in cooperative federalism—the uncertainty and risk dimensions
Framing public sector innovation objectives as a response to handling uncertainty and risk
Choosing the best conceptual tools
Implications for cooperative federalism
Conclusions
Part 2. Reflections on policy and politics
7. Cabinet government: Australian style
8. Consumers and small business: at the heart of the Trade Practices Act
Protection of small business under the Trade Practices Act
Franchising
Small business and Section 46
Unconscionable conduct
Collective bargaining
National consumer law
Summary
9. Constitutional litigation and the Commonwealth
How do constitutional cases come before the courts?
How does the Commonwealth become aware of constitutional cases?
By what power does the Commonwealth participate in constitutional cases?
How does the Commonwealth participate in constitutional cases?
What are the advantages of the way the Commonwealth participates in constitutional cases?
Conclusion
10. Evidence-based policy making: what is it and how do we get it?
Advancing further reforms will be challenging
Why we need an evidence-based approach
Most policies are experiments
Conditioning the political environment
The essential ingredients
Methodology matters
Good data are a prerequisite
Real evidence is open to scrutiny
Evidence building takes time
Good evidence requires good people
Independence can be crucial
A ‘receptive’ policymaking environment is fundamental
Some implications for the Public Service
Making better use of existing processes
Effective COAG arrangements
Building greater institutional capacity
Better use of external contracting
Resourcing evaluations properly
Bottom line
Part 3. Reflections on governance and leadership
11. The two cultures re-examined: a perspective on leadership and policy management in business and government
The two cultures of business and government
The public order and the civic order
The political cultures of the United States and Australia
Leadership profiles in the United States and Australia
Telecommunications regulation in the political culture of Australia
Appendix 11.A: Decision making in the public and private sector is different
12. Leading the Australian Defence Force
The basis of successful leadership in the Australian Defence Force
Strategic direction
Leading the Australian Defence Force
Conclusion
13. Essential linkages—situating political governance, transparency and accountability in the broader reform agenda
Essential linkages
Transparency
Freedom of information is vital
Appendix 13
Expanding on political governance
Part 4. Reflections on adaptive change
14. Higher education: it’s time…(to change the policy framework)
15. Achieving a ‘conservation economy’ in indigenous communities: a Canadian model for greening and growing local economies
16. From crystal sets to the double helix in one journalist’s lifetime
The television era
ABC—from promise to paucity
Radio
Decline of newspapers
Internet
New genres of journalism
Double helix