PUBLISHED IN THE AUSTRALIAN MAY 26, 2012 When we discuss the merits of Noel Pearson's work in Cape York, as Tony Koch, Chris Sarra and Marcia Langton have done in recent weeks, there is one thing we must not forget: the great innovations in indigenous policy that would not exist if it hadn't be... ... (26-May)
PUBLISHED ON THE DRUM May 7, 2012 The introduction of minimum standards for teacher education courses is urgent.
Entrance scores have collapsed as revealed by a government report on university offers released last week: 6.5 per cent of offers were made to students with an Australian Tertiary A... ... (07-May)
The Prime Minister's long-awaited school funding reforms outlined in the Gonski Review have been quietly shelved. The education ministers meeting last Thursday failed to endorse the reforms, with the Victorian Minister stating plainly that no substantial change will be happening anytime soon.
After... ... (12-Apr)
PUBLISHED IN THE AUSTRALIAN April 12, 2012: HAVING just returned from leading a political delegation to Vietnam, I have a confession: I had no idea Australia had recently given $160 million to Vietnam for a new bridge. But then neither did the Vietnamese I met.
In almost 20 meetings with senior Vi... ... (12-Apr)
PUBLISHED ON THE DRUM ABC: The Prime Minister's long-awaited school funding reforms outlined in the Gonski Review have been quietly shelved. The education ministers meeting last Thursday failed to endorse the reforms, with the Victorian Minister stating plainly that no substantial change w... ... (12-Apr)
PUBLISHED IN THE IPA REVIEW (Vol 63/4)There is a tacit deal for remote Indigenous Australians that is not working. Indigenous Australians have been supported for the last 40 years just to exist in a place of their choice, as a guilt-ridden nation’s act of compensation for past mistreatment. Low requ... ... (15-Dec)
PUBLISHED IN THE AUSTRALIAN: While the change in Parliamentary Speaker was drowning other news, the Gillard government quietly dropped its promised teacher bonus scheme. Axing this clumsy add-on to the existing teacher salary structures was sensible, but the principle of merit pay remains esse... ... (29-Nov)
PUBLISHED IN 'THE AUSTRALIAN': The official results are not in but every indication from reforms in three Cape York communities suggests a breakthrough is finally occurring in remote indigenous schooling. Children are attending at just below mainstream levels and many are learning faster than ... ... (22-Oct)
PUBLISHED IN THE PUNCH: In this country we are blessed with some outstanding economists. But can they be collectively wrong? The Gillard Government thinks not. They claim that no economist is backing the Coalition’s Direct Action Plan, which therefore proves that it is the wrong policy. Case c... ... (09-Jul)
ARTICLE IN THE ROWVILLE-LYSTERFIELD COMMUNITY NEWS: As an MP, you sometimes get constituents in your office whose stories blow your mind and set you on a course you never expected. This was the case when a young, unemployed Wantirna man came to see me in early March. The young man was given $80,000 ... ... (04-Jul)