In the penultimate episode of our Policy Forum Pod mini-series on leadership and democracy, Natasha Stott Despoja - former Senator for South Australia and member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women - joins us to discuss women in leadership in Australia.

Australia is still a long way from reaching gender parity in politics, with the country ranking 51st in terms of the percentage of parliamentarians who are women. Revelations throughout 2021 have also shone a light on the serious, disturbing challenges facing women in parliament, and the toxic culture that’s been allowed to flourish. With research showing few are interested in a career in politics, how can policymakers ensure that there are pathways into politics for young women? What needs to change to ensure women in parliament are safe and respected? And how can greater diversity in parliament drive both policy and cultural change across the country? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Natasha Stott Despoja AO joins Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss women’s political leadership in Australia, talk through some of the challenges, and chart ways forward.

Natasha Stott Despoja AO is the founding Chair of the Board of Our Watch, a foundation to prevent violence against women and their children, and was previously the Australian Ambassador for Women and Girls. She was Senator for South Australia representing the Australian Democrats from 1995 to 2008.

Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of Gender Equity and Diversity at Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU.

Arnagretta Hunter is a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer for ANU Medical School.

Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.

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In the second episode of our mini-series on leadership and democracy, political scientist Carolyn Hendriks and community leader Denis Ginnivan join us to discuss political action at the local level and why Australia needs a process of democratic repair.

Are governments losing touch with their constituents, particularly in regional areas? And in a society that’s becoming increasingly polarised around a number of issues, how can local actors bring their communities together to find common ground? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Professor Carolyn Hendriks from ANU Crawford School of Public Policy and social worker and community leader Denis Ginnivan join Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss leadership at the local level and how that interacts with formal political systems.

Denis Ginnivan is a committee member of Totally Renewable Yackandandah and a former President of Voices for Indi, a community group based in northeast Victoria which seeks to encourage citizens to engage and participate in politics and democracy.

Carolyn Hendriks is Associate Professor of Public Policy and Governance at Crawford School of Public Policy.

Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of Gender Equity and Diversity at Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU.

Arnagretta Hunter is a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer for ANU Medical School.

Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.

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In this first episode in our mini-series on leadership and democracy, historians Chris Wallace and Frank Bongiorno join us to examine the resistance to change among Australia’s political class and whether the country’s current crop of leaders are up to the task of providing good governance.

In an increasingly uncertain world, the call for effective political leadership is a loud one. But are Australia's present-day leaders responding? How are outdated stereotypes about leadership influencing Australia’s political culture? And how do country’s current leaders compare to those of recent history and from around the world? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Frank Bongiorno from The Australian National University and Chris Wallace from the University of Canberra take a look at the history of Australian political leadership to kick off our mini-series on leadership and democracy.

Chris Wallace is an Associate Professor at the University of Canberra. Entering the history profession after a first career as an economic and political journalist in the Canberra Press Gallery, her work focuses on political, international and global history with special reference to leadership.

Frank Bongiorno AM is the Head of the School of History and Professor at The Australian National University (ANU). He is an Australian labour, political, and cultural historian.

Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of Gender Equity and Diversity at Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU.

Arnagretta Hunter is a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer for ANU Medical School.

Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.

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It’s an experience no Australian wants to relive, but bushfire seasons like that of 2019/2020 are likely to increase in frequency due to climate change. On this Policy Forum Pod, defence expert Brendan Sargeant, emergency law scholar Michael Eburn, forestry academic Peter Kanowski, and health professional Arnagretta Hunter discuss the bushfire royal commission and how policymakers should be preparing to manage more severe bushfires. 

The 2019/2020 bushfire season was a traumatic experience for so many Australians, but are the country’s policymakers learning the right lessons from the Black Summer? Are the recommendations of the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements being taken seriously? And, with Australia facing the prospect of increasingly severe weather patterns due to climate change, how can governments, emergency services, and citizens work together to protect their communities? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Professor Brendan Sargeant, Honorary Associate Professor Michael Eburn, and Professor Peter Kanowski join Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss what policymakers and citizens should learn from Australia’s Black Summer. 

Michael Eburn is Honorary Associate Professor in the College of Law at The Australian National University. He is a leading researcher in emergency services, emergency management, and the law.

Brendan Sargeant is Head of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre and Professor of Practice in Defence and Strategic Studies at The Australian National University.

Peter Kanowski is Professor of Forestry in the Fenner School of Environment and Society at The Australian National University. His work focuses on forest and environmental policy, sustainability, policy learning and development, and community engagement when it comes to forest-related issues.

Arnagretta Hunter is a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer for ANU Medical School.

The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements report is available online, as are recordings of the workshops run by ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions. Brendan Sargeant’s recent Centre of Gravity paper, ‘Challenges to the Australian Strategic Imagination’, is available via ANU Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs.

Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to 

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It’s the glue that holds society together, but existing economic and policy systems find care so hard to place a value on. On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, social security researcher Elise Klein and community advocate Millie Rooney join us to discuss valuing care in public policy.

How does Australian policy value different forms of care compared to what’s been considered to be ‘productive’ work? What would happen if the country made caring a central tenet of its policy-making rather than a secondary consideration? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Dr Elise Klein, Senior Lecturer at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy, and Dr Millie Rooney, National Coordinator at Australia reMADE, join hosts Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss how and why Australian policymakers should place greater value on care.

Elise Klein OAM is a Senior Lecturer of Public Policy at Crawford School of Public Policy whose research interests include Indigenous policy, development interventions, women’s economic empowerment, and economic rights.

Millie Rooney is the Coordinator for Australia reMADE, an independent, non-profit leadership network where Australian civil society leaders can collaborate with one another.

Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of Gender Equity and Diversity at Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU.

Arnagretta Hunter is a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer for ANU Medical School.

Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.

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On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, aged care expert Diane Gibson and social researcher Nicholas Biddle join us to discuss the impact of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and whether governments are on the right track to make the changes the sector desperately needs.

Some of the most devastating images to come out of Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic so far have emerged from aged care facilities. Unfortunately, the situation Australia has watched unfold in aged care during the pandemic is just another in a series of tragedies that have beset the system. While the federal government announced a nearly $18 billion package in the recent budget, will this lead to transformational change? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Professor Diane Gibson from the University of Canberra and Professor Nicholas Biddle from The Australian National University join Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to talk about policy solutions to Australia’s aged care crisis.

Diane Gibson is Distinguished Professor (Health and Ageing) at University of Canberra and Chair of the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing.

Nicholas Biddle is Associate Director of the Centre for Social Research at ANU. He previously held a Senior Research Officer and Assistant Director position in the Methodology Division of the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of Gender Equity and Diversity at Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU.

Arnagretta Hunter is a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer for ANU Medical School.

Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.

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On the new episode of Policy Forum Pod, experts Stephen Howes and Sally Moyle join Sharon Bessell to take a closer look at foreign aid in the recent federal budget and whether Australia is doing its part to assist communities in need beyond its borders. 

In Australia, there has been a downward trend in the foreign aid budget since 2014-15 and aid spending per capita has dropped since 1995. So what is the impact of this on the reach and effectiveness of Australia’s aid program? What do these trends reveal about Australian values? And how can the country’s political leaders make the case for international development assistance and communicate its benefits, both in the region and for Australia’s national interests? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Professor Stephen Howes and Honorary Associate Professor Sally Moyle join Professor Sharon Bessell to discuss these questions and more.

Stephen Howes is Professor of Economics at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy and the Director of the Development Policy Centre.

Sally Moyle is an Honorary Associate Professor at ANU Gender Institute. Sally has had extensive experience in international development policy and practice, and almost 20 years’ experience addressing gender issues both domestically and in international development.

Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of Gender Equity and Diversity at Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU.

Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.

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On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, The Australian National University’s Assa Doron and Azad Singh Bali join Sharon Bessell to examine the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in India and the key lessons policymakers must learn so the country isn’t rocked by further waves of the virus.

How did the COVID-19 crisis in India get so out of control? And what can policymakers in the country and around the region learn from the responses so far to ensure this isn’t followed by further waves of infections? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Professor Assa Doron and Dr Azad Singh Bali join Professor Sharon Bessell to chart the country’s responses since the beginning of the pandemic, examine what role religious and other divisions have played in inhibiting an effective response, and what policymakers must learn from this awful situation to ensure it doesn’t repeat in the coming months.

Assa Doron is Professor of Anthropology at the College of Asia and the Pacific's School of Culture, History, and Language at The Australian National University.

Azad Singh Bali is Senior Lecturer in Public Policy and holds a joint appointment at Crawford School of Public Policy and ANU School of Politics and International Relations.

Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of Gender Equity and Diversity at Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU.

Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.

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On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Pacific experts Meg Keen and Henry Ivarature join Arnagretta Hunter to discuss how Papua New Guinea is dealing with its current COVID-19 outbreak, the region’s successes and setbacks during the pandemic, and some of the other key security issues facing the Pacific.

What have been the successes and setbacks in the Pacific Island region’s management of the COVID-19 crisis? What is slowing down the vaccine rollout in many countries in the region? And with geostrategic competition increasing in the Pacific, what are the prospects for the region’s economic recovery? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Professor Meg Keen and Dr Henry Ivarature from the Australia Pacific Security College join Dr Arnagretta Hunter to examine how the Pacific Island region is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and how geostrategic competition, climate change, and economic vulnerabilities are impacting the region.

Meg Keen is Professor and Director at the Australia Pacific Security College at The Australian National University.

Henry Ivarature is a Pacific Fellow at Australia Pacific Security College at The Australian National University.

Arnagretta Hunter is a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer for ANU Medical School.

Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.

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On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, sociologist John Falzon and Anglicare Australia head Kasy Chambers join Sharon Bessell and Arnagretta Hunter to discuss this year’s federal budget and what it means for social policy.

This week, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced Australia’s 2021/22 federal budget, which included some significant spending on social services. But is this a budget seeking to drive transformative change on social policy? Is the government paying sufficient attention to long term challenges? And how will the budget impact Australians who are experiencing disadvantage? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, hosts Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter discuss these questions and more with Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers and Per Capita Senior Fellow Dr John Falzon.

Kasy Chambers is executive director of Anglicare Australia - a network of 45 agencies, 38,000 staff and volunteers, working with over 502,000 clients annually across Australia.

John Falzon OAM is Senior Fellow, Inequality and Social Justice at Per Capita.

Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of Gender Equity and Diversity at Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU.

Arnagretta Hunter is a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer for ANU Medical School.

Policy Forum Pod is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Subscribe on Android or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.

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