Author: Andrew Trounson

Australia’s generational wealth divide is biting

Home ownership rates are falling and debt is rising among Australia's younger generations, new HILDA survey data shows. There are questions about the sustainability of our retirement system. Read More

Good policymaking and frequent elections — the right mix?

Is democracy part of the solution or part of the problem when it comes to good policymaking? Former top mandarin Terry Moran and academics Helen Sullivan and Sarah Maddison discuss policymaking during caretaker period. Read More

Sarah Maddison: ‘absolutely not the time for new policy ideas’

An election is the last place for new policy ideas, says Associate Professor Sarah Maddison, from the University of Melbourne's School of Social and Political Sciences. Read More

Terry Moran: ‘we need a Parliamentary Policy Office’ to evaluate merit

Former Australian Public Service head Terry Moran believes the best way to improve public policy formation is to create an independent policy analysis group within the parliamentary departments. Read More

Helen Sullivan: democracy means ‘working harder to effect good public policy’

For Professor Helen Sullivan, director of the University of Melbourne’s School of Government, the problem facing good policy formulation isn’t the electoral cycle, but rather the state of a democracy too characterized by voter cynicism and “gotcha” politics. Read More