Luke talks to Gideon Rozner, Director of Policy at the Institute of Public Affairs, who has condemned James Cook University for proceeding with its appeal against the Federal Circuit Court’s decision in favour of Dr Peter Ridd earlier this month.

 

“James Cook University must reverse its position to appeal the decision. This will

only prolong this already ugly dispute. Dr Ridd won this case on all 17 counts. It is

time for JCU to accept the decision and move on,” said Mr Rozner.

 

“JCU’s council should have already stepped in to restore sanity, to save the

university from spending millions of taxpayer dollars to exert control over a fine and

sincere 30-year employee.”

 

“This whole ugly affair could have been avoided if JCU had addressed Dr Ridd’s

substantive questions about the lack of quality assurance in relation to science

surrounding the Great Barrier Reef.”

 

“Instead of engaging in good faith scientific debate, JCU are now proposing to

spend millions of taxpayer dollars to muzzle Dr Ridd.”

 

“James Cook University’s actions are further proof of the crisis in Australian

universities,” said Mr Rozner.

Listen to the full show podcast with Luke Grant filling in for Michael Mclaren

Luke Grant talks to The Hon James McGrath, Liberal Senator for Queensland & Chair of Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, who want to know if new technology has a role to play in Federal elections.

 

Senator McGrath says technology such as tablet devices have now become mainstream and a new generation of voters are more comfortable with swiping rather than scribbling.

 

‘Australian elections are still reliant on pencils and paper. Personally I don’t think electronic voting is the solution – but we do need to consider how the AEC can use new technology to improve service delivery.’

 

‘It’s not just about what happens in the polling booth. We need to find out how technology can help with the huge job of maintaining the electoral roll, processing information between polling centres – and even replacing electoral related snail mail.’

 

Submissions close today 20 September and the Committee expects to hold public hearings later this year.

Listen to the full show podcast with Luke Grant filling in for Michael Mclaren

To extrapolate on the news of the week, Luke Grant is joined by writer for The Spectator Australia and contributor to Sky News, Terry Barnes.

Luke Grant chats with Troy Lennon from the Daily Telegraph for the weekly history segment.

Listen to the full show podcast with Luke Grant filling in for Michael Mclaren

Professor Gary Martin, CEO the Australian Institute of Management WA, about our rapidly deteriorating standards of workplace hygiene which is estimated to cost businesses more than $5 billion annually.

 

Findings include almost half of the workforce believed they had fallen ill because of poor office hygiene. And when workers were asked which parts of their work environment were most unhygienic, it wasn’t the toilets but the kitchen, as well as workstations and desk telephones.

 

Another survey found that only 60% of workers admit to washing their hands after doing their business!

 

Bosses can’t continue to wash their hands of workplace hygiene and need to communicate the importance of a clean workplace, provide adequate hand sanitisation, institute cleaning regimes, and address workers who are known for their slovenly ways.

Professor David Flint chats to Luke Grant on the weeks political news.