“As the world changes with unprecedented speed, young people are proving to be invaluable partners who can advance meaningful solutions.” Those were the words of the then United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2015 speaking about the importance of International Youth Day. Since 2000, International Youth Day has sought to shine
Read MoreAustralians are often surprised to learn that their Constitution contains no right to free speech. Even the right to political speech, which is constitutionally implied, is increasingly complicated by new online platforms where people can express their views. The Australian Public Service Commission’s (APSC) recent guidance for public servants shone a
Read MoreThe flipside of the populism coin is voter ambivalence about “democracy” as we know it. Though much of the reporting of last year’s US presidential race focused on the “angry” American voter, it has been observed that perhaps the most striking feature of the campaign that led to the election of
Read MoreOn Wednesday evening, the New South Wales state government passed legislation empowering police to dismantle the Martin Place homeless camp in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. This follows similar actions in Victoria, where police cleared a homeless camp outside Flinders Street Station. Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle proposed a bylaw
Read MoreThe Turnbull government’s decision to put the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in charge of a voluntary postal plebiscite on same-sex marriage has left many scratching their heads. It was expected the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) would run the vote, not the body responsible for the five-yearly census. By giving the
Read MoreWhether or not federal parliament should amend the Marriage Act to allow same-sex couples to marry continues to prove much more complicated than it should be for the Coalition government. On Monday, the Liberal partyroom reiterated its commitment to holding a plebiscite on marriage equality. Parliament will now reconsider legislation for
Read MoreAlthough sex workers around the world lobby for decriminalisation, sex work law remains controversial. The emergence of online markets in the sex work industry requires us to rethink how the industry is regulated. There is abundant evidence that decriminalising sex work safeguards the human rights of sex workers, while also contributing
Read MoreRecent commentary on levels of inequality exposes the myth that Australia is an egalitarian society in which the privileges of birth have little currency. Focusing on inequality in the distribution of incomes ignores an equally important dimension of inequality: wealth. Wealth is much more unequally distributed than income. Therefore, ignoring wealth
Read MoreThe Australian Sports Commission joins the entire sporting community to pay tribute to Betty Cuthbert AM, MBE, who has passed away aged 79. A four-time Olympic champion, Ms Cuthbert was a pioneer for Australian female sprinters and a true legend of track and field. ASC Chair John Wylie said: “As one of
Read MoreThe Turnbull Government has congratulated an aged care services provider for its latest Reconciliation Action Plan and its commitment to better the lives of the indigenous Australians it supports. Speaking at the launch of Advanced Personnel Management’s new Reconciliation Action Plan in Perth today, the Minister for Aged Care and Minister
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