Everywhere you go, climate change and the Government’s proposal to put a price on carbon pollution is being talked about. There is no doubting this is a significant issue for Australia and the world, however the conversation in Australia is laced with myths.
Now signed and sealed, the Australia-Malaysia asylum seeker-refugee transfer deal is about to be delivered with the imminent deportation of the first group of asylum seekers from Christmas Island. In the meantime, many are asking whether the agreement will work. The answer to this all depends, of course, on how you frame the problem.
Although Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are less than 3 per cent of Australia’s population, they make up more than 10 per cent of current NRL players. But while Aboriginal players are among the NRL’s brightest stars, the situation for our people off the field is vastly different.
In just over four weeks, more than 2000 people will gather in Sydney to take part in the Oxfam Trailwalker 100km endurance challenge to raise money for Oxfam’s work to fight poverty around the world.
Everyone in Pakistan agrees that better preparation for disasters is a good idea. But making it happen is another matter. It needs money. It needs experts. It needs time between disasters for a country to recover and then plan ahead for the next situation.
While the process of appointing Christine Lagarde has damaged the IMF’s credibility, she now has the power to restore the fund’s credibility and transparency.
In the wake of World Refugee Week, the recent television phenomenon of the SBS documentary Go Back to Where You Came From and in the year of the 60th anniversary of the Refugee Convention, it is now more timely than ever to reflect on Australia’s approach to the treatment of asylum-seekers.
Deciding how and where to deliver aid has always been a tricky business. In Australia, as in other rich countries, politics, national priorities and commercial objectives have frequently jockeyed for influence.
In the city of Pune in western India more than 6000 families survive on rubbish. They live on the money earned by workers – most of whom are women – who collect, sort and sell waste to scrap traders. Exclusively from low-caste groups, often known as ”untouchables”, these waste pickers are vulnerable to extreme poverty, including disease and hunger.
The budget is a win, but other avenues need to be explored.