Grattan Institute News Listing http://www.grattan.edu.au/rss/rss_news.php http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/123_norton_oped_campusreview_highered.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/123_norton_oped_campusreview_highered.pdf Public hospitals refusing to admit pregnant international students. Government schools charging fees to the children of international students. International students having to pay full public transport fares. These international student entitlement issues made the news last year. They are all aspects of a much bigger issue: what rights and entitlements should be available to non-citizens with long-term but temporary residence rights? SAT, 28 jan 2012 13:55:00 +1000 http://www.climatespectator.com.au/commentary/right-way-value-solar http://www.climatespectator.com.au/commentary/right-way-value-solar Now is the time to resolve confusion about the value of solar power, "grid parity" and the role of support mechanisms for solar PV. How do we decide what solar PV is worth? What does this mean for feed-in tariffs and the concept of grid parity? WED, 21 dec 2011 19:50:00 +1000 http://theconversation.edu.au/the-future-of-gas-power-stepping-stone-or-snare-4575 http://theconversation.edu.au/the-future-of-gas-power-stepping-stone-or-snare-4575 The past few years have seen the rapid expansion of the coal seam and shale gas industry. Combine this expansion with the recent introduction of a price on carbon here in Australia, and you end up with a bunch of intriguing questions. THU, 15 dec 2012 15:10:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/121_norton_oped_australian_highered.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/121_norton_oped_australian_highered.pdf The latest review of university funding has not come up with a convincing basis for allocating higher education tuition subsidies. WED, 14 dec 2011 10:30:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/pub_page/117_report_getting_the_housing_we_want.html http://www.grattan.edu.au/pub_page/117_report_getting_the_housing_we_want.html Grattan's new report, Getting the housing we want, proposes a new approach to city planning that allows our cities to grow while giving residents a real say in the future of their neighbourhoods. Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:00:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/116_norton_oped_age_highered.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/116_norton_oped_age_highered.pdf The Ombudsman claims that international students are being admitted with inadequate English proficiency and sometimes passed when they should fail. More independent information on students' prospects and performance would help protect international students and their future employers. TUE, 08 nov 2011 15:00:00 +1000 http://energy.unimelb.edu.au/future-of-transport http://energy.unimelb.edu.au/future-of-transport This seminar looked at how Australians might get around in the low carbon cities of the future. Experts in research, policy and industry will explore the technologies that could be used to decarbonise the transport system and the realities of the challenges associated with bringing these online. Fri, 14 oct 2012 16:00:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/111_eslake_tax_reform_parl_library.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/111_eslake_tax_reform_parl_library.pdf Adam Smith said that a good taxation system should be equitable between taxpayers, certain in its impact on each of them, simple to comply with and parsimonious in its administration costs. Sadly, the Australian tax system is none of these. In fact, if you hired a consultant to create a system that encouraged the accumulation of wealth through borrowing and speculating while penalising such accumulation through working and saving, he or she would hand you a copy of the Australian Tax Income Assessment Act. Change is desperately needed, but don't bet on it happening soon. WED, 21 sep 2011 17:20:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/110_eslake_dungala_kaiela_oration_shepparton.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/110_eslake_dungala_kaiela_oration_shepparton.pdf Australia is experiencing what may be the largest and longest commodities boom in its history. Through a sovereign wealth fund built on budget surpluses generated by the boom, we could tackle some of our most intractable problems, including the cost of an ageing population, the transition to a low-carbon economy and the stubborn reality of Indigenous disadvantage. We have an unprecedented opportunity. But do we have the foresight to take it? WED, 21 sep 2011 10:05:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/pub_page/109_report_cities.html http://www.grattan.edu.au/pub_page/109_report_cities.html What Matters Most? shows that there are real differences in housing priorities across the population. In particular, while young families are focussed on house size and type, older and single-person households are much more likely to think that characteristics of where they live matter more. As the population ages and household size continues to decrease, these differences could result in significant shifts in the mix of housing we want. Mon, 19 Sep 2011 09:00:00 +1000