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Upcoming event: "Know Tomorrow: Progressive politics, Labour parties and trade unions", Sydney, 2 July 2008
Per Capita invites you to a fireside chat with David Coats, Associate Director of the UK's Work Foundation. David will be discussing two key issues for developed economies: the role of trade unions in building productivity and the creation of quality jobs. More details... More>>
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The perils of petrol and populism - Michael Cooney, Policy Director, 2 June 2008
The one thing all commentators have said is that the new Government must make its short-term reactions serve its long-term interests, and must make political management serve policy achievement. So the first question to ask about this week’s petrol controversies is this: is FuelWatch good economic policy? The short answer is yes. Here’s why... More>>
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On the air: "What's rich?", Life Matters, Radio National, 13 May 2008
Hear Michael Cooney discuss what “rich” means in Australia today, on the eve of the Federal Budget... More>>
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Per Capita research paper: "Unlocking the Value of a Job: Market Design in Employment Services"
On May 7, the Federal Employment Minister, Brendan O'Connor, launched Per Capita's new research paper, "Unlocking the Value of a Job: Market Design in Employment Services". The paper argues that the Job Network is no longer fit-for-purpose and should be redesigned to reflect an environment of labour shortage rather than surplus... More>>
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On the air: "Doing a job on the Job Network", The National Interest, Radio National, 9 May 2008
Hear David Hetherington discuss market design and employment services with Peter Mares on Radio National’s “The National Interest” program... More>>
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A New Direction for UK Foreign Policy – Lunch with Meg Munn, 8 May 2008
On Thursday 8 May, Per Capita hosted a lunchtime discussion in Sydney with Meg Munn MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The discussion ranged from the Burmese cyclone response, to Pacific Island sports programs, to that old Sydney favourite, house prices. But on a serious note, Meg outlined the need for ongoing reassessment of foreign policy settings... More>>
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In the press: "Job training role for business", Alexander Symonds, AFR, 8 May 2008
Business should team up with employment services providers and compete for government funds to create programs that find jobs for the unemployed, a report has recommended. The privatised Job Network is under review by the Rudd government. A paper released yesterday by Per Capita executive director David Hetherington said Job Network was "no longer fit-for-purpose"... More>>
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In the press: "Job plan in for the long haul", Patricia Karvelas, The Australian, 8 May 2008
The Rudd Government will unveil a new plan for the privatised Job Network that involves paying job agencies more for placing the long-term unemployed into work... More>>
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In the press: "Job Network undervalues help for the least skilled", Kate Hannon, Canberra Times, 7 May 2008
Independent policy think-tank Per Capita says the Rudd Government should redesign the job-finding network of private and community sector providers by increasing job-placement payments and stretching them over a longer period, as an incentive to better equip the jobless for work... More>>
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Summit Report II: The Australia 2020 Summit, Canberra, 19-20 April 2008
The paintings in the National Portrait Gallery have come off the walls, found themselves a drink and are standing around talking about ideas. The gallery is hosting the reception to welcome delegates to the summit, 150 of whom have portraits in the collection... More>>
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In the press: "Rudd builds his link to the people", Michael Cooney, The Age, 18 April 2008
Kevin Rudd's speech on Wednesday night was the most important of his prime ministership so far. It is no exaggeration to say it marked the end of the Labor leader's transition from Opposition to Government. More>>
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Pricing the last drop - David Hetherington, Executive Director, 9 April 2008
Arguments over water allocation echo familiar refrains of the carbon trading debate. Won’t increased water charges for industrial users cost jobs? Maybe. Will a water price based on supply and demand lead to more efficient use of this scarce resource? Definitely... More>>
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Summit Report I: The Progressive Governance Summit, London, 4-5 April 2008
It’s not often you get 13 heads of government in a room with the bosses of the WTO, the IMF and African Development Bank, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the EU foreign policy chief, and one Bill Clinton thrown in for good measure...
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In the press: "Why we lack the means to crack the big ideas", David Hetherington, Sydney Morning Herald, 4 April 2008
When it comes to the international community of ideas, Australia has been sitting on the sidelines for a decade, unwilling to offer a fresh, independent perspective to global debates... More>>
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Lessons from the 2007 Election - Lunch with Nick Reece, 18 March 2008
On Tuesday 18 March, Per Capita and the Trawalla Foundation hosted a lunchtime discussion with Nick Reece, Head of Policy to Victorian Premier John Brumby. Nick outlined the lessons for incumbent governments of the 2007 Federal Election Campaign, and the implications for policy-setting priorities at state and national levels... More>>
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Deeper in Debt - Lunch with Steve Keen, 14 March 2008
On 14 March, the Boston Consulting Group hosted the Per Capita circle for lunch with Steve Keen, author of Debunking Economics, to discuss his research on debt in the Australian economy. It was a fascinating, if sobering, discussion... More>>
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In the press: "Using our human capital", David Hetherington, The Weekend Australian, 8 March 2008
The public debate has moved on. Most of us accept the role of a market in helping the unemployed into work. It's not about market versus state any more. The real debate is about how to design the market, how to set the rules of the game to encourage behaviour that advances public policy goals... More>>
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In the press: "Now for Rudd's 100-year plan", Michael Cooney, Australian Financial Review, 3 March 2008
The dominant impression of the Labor government's first 100 days is of the Prime Minister steadily ticking off a to-do list of big progressive symbols... More>>
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Per Capita in the press: "His record suggests PM won't always do the right thing", Dennis Glover, The Australian, 28 February 2008
The list of early Rudd achievements is not a bad summer's work. In fact, this list represents the fulfilment of a large proportion of progressive Australia's symbolic political agenda since 1996. For the moment, contrary to conservative assertion, Rudd's Government looks like a progressive, not a conservative, Labor administration. More>>
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Politics and ideas - Michael Cooney, Policy Director, 28 February 2008
One of the founding motivations for Per Capita was our dismay at the relationship between politics and ideas in our country. Each of us had our different analogies for thinking about this problem. More>>
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Squaring the circle on inflation - David Hetherington, Executive Director, 8 February 2008
The new Rudd government is experiencing an economic baptism of fire. How to keep inflation under control when, for political and policy reasons, you’re obliged to add further fuel to the fire? It really is a case of squaring the circle... More>>
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Per Capita in the press: "Getting squeezy with spending", Michael Cooney, Herald Sun, 22 January 2008
“The key to making tough cuts work is to have fresh ideas as well. For example, the baby bonus could become a future bonus. Instead of the money going straight to parents how, it would go into an account for pre-primary education...” More>>
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Memo to a Progressive Prime Minister: The Investing Society
Dear Prime Minister, we take the moment of your election to propose a new progressive governing project. We call this project The Investing Society: a renewed investment in sustaining our prosperity and in strengthening our communities... More>>
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Seasons Greetings and Thank You, 21 December 2007
Well, what a year it’s been. For the first time, Australia has a federal government that describes itself as progressive. The early signs are promising... More>>
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Per Capita in the press: "With a little help from his friends", Dennis Glover, The Weekend Australian, 15 December 2007
“What those 11 long years of Opposition have created is an Australian social democracy for modern times: a party neither Left nor Right but proudly progressive...” More>>
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Per Capita in the press: "Now's the time for bold vision", David Hetherington, The Age, 25 November 2007
“Prime Minister: The earth moved in Australia last night. But which will your election be a tremor or an earthquake? The answer depends on you...” More>>
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Renewing the Social Democratic Narrative - A chat with Will Hutton, 30 October 2007
In the next of our 'six questions' series of interviews with leading progressive thinkers, Will Hutton of the Guardian and the Work Foundation joins us to discuss challenges for the social democratic narrative, the rise of China and India and Australia’s poor showing at the Rugby World Cup. More>>
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A little pearler of a policy - David Hetherington, Executive Director, 21 September 2007
Government is one of Australia's favourite whinges. We love laying into politicians, often justifiably so, which is why it’s so refreshing when a really good piece of policy surfaces. High quality public policy is not as common as it should be, given the resources we invest in it. More>>
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"What do you mean progressive?" Per Capita position paper, 7 September 2007
Why do we call ourselves progressive? We know the language of the left-right spectrum is too simplistic and outdated to describe modern politics. We also don’t accept the other false dichotomies and forced choices that frame so much of our public debate. More>>
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Driving a Decade of Reform - Lunch with Alan Milburn, 6 September 2007
On Thursday 6 September, Per Capita hosted the Rt Hon Alan Milburn MP, former UK Secretary of State for Health and Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Alan discussed the challenges of delivering progressive policy reform – reflecting back on the lessons of New Labour, and looking to the future of progressive reform in Australia and around the world. More>>
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Per Capita in the press: "Work in Progress", Anthony Sibillin, BRW, 6 September 2007
Think tanks can influence governments, business and public opinion but must show a commitment to fairness and community. More>>
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Prosperity and Fairness - An evening with Andrew Charlton, 30 August 2007
On 30 August, Per Capita was joined by Andrew Charlton at the Hero of Waterloo in Sydney to discuss his latest book, Ozonomics. Andrew explored with us the inner workings of the Australian economy and unpacked our prevailing economic myths. More>>
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Values in Foreign Policy - An evening with Walter Russell Mead and Peter Hartcher, 2 July 2007
On 2 July the Per Capita circle was joined in conversation by Walter Russell Mead, Henry Kissinger Senior Fellow at the US Council of Foreign Relations, and Peter Hartcher, Political and International Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald. More>>
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