Grattan Institute Publictions Listing http://www.grattan.edu.au/rss/rss_news.php http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/147_wood_oped_CEDA_energy.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/147_wood_oped_CEDA_energy.pdf Meeting Australia's 2050 emissions reduction targets will require a complete transformation of our energy sector. Pricing carbon is an effective first step, writes Tony Wood in the CEDA publication, 'Renewable Energy Future: Prospects and Realities', but an ETS alone won't generate enough investment in renewable energy technologies fast enough. What should government do to help innovators and investors bring sustainable, affordable low-emissions technologies to market? TUE, 15 may 2012 14:30:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/146_jensen_oped_australian_schooled.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/146_jensen_oped_australian_schooled.pdf Performance bonuses for teachers will not raise standards in Australian schools all by themselves. If we want better results for our students, writes Ben Jensen, we should learn from the success of Singapore's comprehensive reform strategy, and focus on the importance of effective policy implementation and behavioural change. THU, 10 may 2012 11:56:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/144_norton_oped_age_highered.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/144_norton_oped_age_highered.pdf University teaching never developed into a proper profession, making managerial intervention necessary argues Andrew Norton. TUE, 24 apr 2012 11:05:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/143_wood_oped_climatespectator_energy.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/143_wood_oped_climatespectator_energy.pdf The expert review on the establishment of a Clean Energy Finance Corporation has attracted both howls of protest and cheers of support. This is not surprising. Vested interests are strong on both fronts. TUE, 23 apr 2012 11:00:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/142_daley_oped_CEDA_regional_dev.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/142_daley_oped_CEDA_regional_dev.pdf For nearly a hundred years, governments have spent a huge amount of money and effort trying to promote economic growth in regional Australia, with little evidence of success. In this chapter in the book, 'A Greater Australia: Population, Policies and Governance', Grattan CEO John Daley argues that while all Australians should receive equal services wherever they live, money for business development, job creation and universities in regional Australia may simply redistribute economic activity around the country, and impose a significant cost on taxpayers in the process. WED, 18 apr 2012 15:00:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/139_norton_oped_australian_highered.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/139_norton_oped_australian_highered.pdf The Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb, says that we need more science graduates. The employment data suggests that many science graduates are already working in jobs that do not require a science degree, and that bachelor-level science qualifications increase the risk of not finding high-skill work. WED, 11 apr 2012 10:00:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/141_mares_oped_afr_cities.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/141_mares_oped_afr_cities.pdf The COAG Reform Council has found that none of Australia's capital cities has a fully integrated strategic planning system, and argues that the nettle of community engagement must be grasped. This finding is supported by Grattan's own report 'Cities: who decides?'. Peter Mares looks at why city dwellers must be given a real say. WED, 18 apr 2012 15:30:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/138_jensen_oped_australian_education.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/138_jensen_oped_australian_education.pdf Education leaders from around the world attending the International Summit on the Teaching Profession agreed that many countries are failing to attract, develop and retain the teachers needed. The Summit, held recently in New York, is the most high-level meeting of education policymakers in the world and provided important insights and challenges for education policy in Australia. TUE, 10 apr 2012 10:20:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/136_norton_oped_age_highered.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/136_norton_oped_age_highered.pdf Policy tensions exist in Australia's higher education funding system with several vice-chancellors recently calling for partial deregulation of student contributions. A more market-based higher education system would avoid major problems of the current system, but bring some of its own.This should not stop the evolutionary movement towards a more market-based system, one that will give more scope to student choices, and place less reliance on unreliable regulators. WED, 21 mar 2012 13:10:00 +1000 http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/135_wood_oped_climatespectator_energy.pdf http://www.grattan.edu.au/publications/135_wood_oped_climatespectator_energy.pdf In recent weeks a range of industry figures have criticised the federal government's decision to introduce a 'surrender charge' as part of the coming emissions trading scheme. At the heart of their criticism is a rejection of the scheme's floor price. But if you accept that the floor price has a sound policy rationale, then a surrender charge is essential to ensure the integrity of the scheme. Some explanation is required. WED, 14 mar 2012 11:20:00 +1000