Centre for Policy Development's Blog, page 75
February 24, 2013
Whatever happened to the Big Society? | CPD REPORT
Download Whatever happened to the Big Society paper
CPD Researcher Cameron Elliot has produced a progress report on results from the Big Society policy framework developed by David Cameron’s conservative UK government, and which he claimed to have ‘redefined the role of the state’.
Tony Abbott referenced Big Society principles in a ‘landmark’ speech last year, saying that ‘securing our future depends more on strong citizens than big government’. The strong possibility that the next Australian federal government may adopt a similar agenda to Big Society makes it important to consider the outcomes of the policies in the UK:
Contrary to Big Society’s stated intent, volunteerism has decreased
More than 60,000 public servants have lost their jobs
Examples of substandard service delivery by outsourced providers continue to emerge
Financial status for households has worsened, while income inequality continues to grow
The International Monetary Fund recently admitted that austerity measures may themselves prolong recessions without producing the expected fiscal savings. The UK is currently feared to be experiencing a ‘triple-dip’ recession.
Whatever happened to the Big Society demonstrates conclusively that weakening the public sector does not automatically strengthen the community or corporate sectors. The new CPD paper argues for a flexible approach, which recognises the respective capabilities of governments versus private agencies, and considers the complex question of how to provide essential services using more than the one dimension – it is not only size of government that matters, but rather its capacity to serve and empower its citizens.
Download Whatever happened to the Big Society paper
Whatever happened to the Big Society? | CPD OP25
Download Whatever happened to the Big Society paper
CPD Researcher Cameron Elliot has produced a ‘progress report’ on results from the Big Society policy framework developed by David Cameron’s conservative UK government, and which he claimed to have ‘redefined the role of the state’.
Tony Abbott referenced Big Society principles in a ‘landmark’ speech last year, saying that ‘securing our future depends more on strong citizens than big government’. The strong possibility that the next Australian federal government may adopt a similar agenda to Big Society makes it important to consider the outcomes of the policies in the UK:
Contrary to Big Society’s stated intent, volunteerism has decreased
More than 60,000 public servants have lost their jobs
Examples of substandard service delivery by outsourced providers continue to emerge
Financial status for households has worsened, while income inequality continues to grow
The International Monetary Fund recently admitted that austerity measures may themselves prolong recessions without producing the expected fiscal savings. The UK is currently feared to be experiencing a ‘triple-dip’ recession.
Whatever happened to the Big Society demonstrates conclusively that weakening the public sector does not automatically strengthen the community or corporate sectors. The new CPD paper argues for a flexible approach, which recognises the respective capabilities of governments versus private agencies, and considers the complex question of how to provide essential services using more than the one dimension – it is not only size of government that matters, but rather its capacity to serve and empower its citizens.
Download Whatever happened to the Big Society paper
Whatever happened to the Big Society?
Download Whatever happened to the Big Society paper
CPD Researcher Cameron Elliot has produced a ‘progress report’ on results from the Big Society policy framework developed by David Cameron’s conservative UK government, and which he claimed to have ‘redefined the role of the state’.
Tony Abbott referenced Big Society principles in a ‘landmark’ speech last year, saying that ‘securing our future depends more on strong citizens than big government’. The strong possibility that the next Australian federal government may adopt a similar agenda to Big Society makes it important to consider the outcomes of the policies in the UK:
Contrary to Big Society’s stated intent, volunteerism has decreased
More than 60,000 public servants have lost their jobs
Examples of substandard service delivery by outsourced providers continue to emerge
Financial status for households has worsened, while income inequality continues to grow
The International Monetary Fund recently admitted that austerity measures may themselves prolong recessions without producing the expected fiscal savings. The UK is currently feared to be experiencing a ‘triple-dip’ recession.
Whatever happened to the Big Society demonstrates conclusively that weakening the public sector does not automatically strengthen the community or corporate sectors. The new CPD paper argues for a flexible approach, which recognises the respective capabilities of governments versus private agencies, and considers the complex question of how to provide essential services using more than the one dimension – it is not only size of government that matters, but rather its capacity to serve and empower its citizens.
Download Whatever happened to the Big Society paper
Whatever happened to the Big Society? | Cameron Elliot
Download Whatever happened to the Big Society paper
CPD Researcher Cameron Elliot has produced a ‘progress report’ on results from the Big Society policy framework developed by David Cameron’s conservative UK government, and which he claimed to have ‘redefined the role of the state’.
Tony Abbott referenced Big Society principles in a ‘landmark’ speech last year, saying that ‘securing our future depends more on strong citizens than big government’. The strong possibility that the next Australian federal government may adopt a similar agenda to Big Society makes it important to consider the outcomes of the policies in the UK:
Contrary to Big Society’s stated intent, volunteerism has decreased
More than 60,000 public servants have lost their jobs
Examples of substandard service delivery by outsourced providers continue to emerge
Financial status for households has worsened, while income inequality continues to grow
The International Monetary Fund recently admitted that austerity measures may themselves prolong recessions without producing the expected fiscal savings. The UK is currently feared to be experiencing a ‘triple-dip’ recession.
Whatever happened to the Big Society demonstrates conclusively that weakening the public sector does not automatically strengthen the community or corporate sectors. The new CPD paper argues for a flexible approach, which recognises the respective capabilities of governments versus private agencies, and considers the complex question of how to provide essential services using more than the one dimension – it is not only size of government that matters, but rather its capacity to serve and empower its citizens.
Download Whatever happened to the Big Society paper
February 18, 2013
ABC Environment Online, 11 February 2013
CPD’s Sutainable Economy research director Laura Eadie responded to recent pronouncements from both government and opposition, on making Australia into Asia’s ‘food bowl’, with an opinion editorial, reiterating points in the report published in late 2012, Farming smarter, not harder: securing our agricultural economy .
The article praises the work of some Australian farmers, calls for incentives to enable others to follow suit, but warns of the dangerous likely outcome of a ‘business as usual’ approach.
The forecast jump in demand for food is escalating hopes for a farmer-led boom in the Australian economy. But without nurturing our farmers, soils and landscapes now, it will be a missed opportunity.
Read more about Farming smarter, not harder: securing our agricultural economy
Laura Eadie | ABC Environment Online, 11 February 2013
CPD’s Sutainable Economy research director Laura Eadie responded to recent pronouncements from both government and opposition, on making Australia into Asia’s ‘food bowl’, with an opinion editorial, reiterating points in the report published in late 2012, Farming smarter, not harder: securing our agricultural economy .
The article praises the work of some Australian farmers, calls for incentives to enable others to follow suit, but warns of the dangerous likely outcome of a ‘business as usual’ approach.
The forecast jump in demand for food is escalating hopes for a farmer-led boom in the Australian economy. But without nurturing our farmers, soils and landscapes now, it will be a missed opportunity.
Read more about Farming smarter, not harder: securing our agricultural economy
February 11, 2013
ACOSS National Conference | Adelaide, 25-26 March
Community: the heart of the economyAnnual meeting of the Australian Council of Social Services, 25-26 March 2013
The Australian Wine Centre, Corner of Botanic and Hackney Roads, Adelaide, SA 5000
For more info or to register online, visit conference.acoss.org.au
The ACOSS National Conference is the meeting place of Australia’s community sector. In 2013, with both the Federal Budget and election to follow, you can expect to get the latest ideas and directions from the people at the front line of social policy. Come join the discussion and have your voice heard.
CPD’s Executive Director Miriam Lyons will sit on a panel with Julia Slay of UK think tank the New Economics Foundation, and Kevin Andrews, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services:
Assessing community engagement, from frameworks to implementation
This session will examine local community control of services and assess the strengths and gaps in current approaches to community engagement. An international perspective on current trends in community engagement from the UK will be followed by reflections from the panel on this experience in contemporary Australia. Chair: Natasha Mitchell, Host, Life Matters, ABC Radio National
For more information and to register online, visit conference.acoss.org.au
February 5, 2013
Farming smarter, not harder | Presentation for Parlt House launch
Farming smarter, not harder—presentation for launch from centrepolicydev
February 4, 2013
Abbott’s figures don’t add up | New Matilda, 4 Feb 2013
Is it possible to cut company tax, cut the carbon tax, pay out for defence and ‘direct action’ on climate change—and still balance the budget?
CPD fellow Ian McAuley analyses the pitfalls of Abbott’s policy paper ‘Our Plan: Real Solutions for All Australians’ which, while promising to abolish the Mining and Carbon Tax, cut personal and company tax, spend heavily on road infrastructure and increase pensions, refuses to reveal any costings.
As Ian argues, the contradictions replete in the Coalition’s fiscal statements which no economic conditions or budgetary measures could possibly reconcile, have gone largely unnoticed by the media, leading to the public assumption that the ‘Coalition is better able to handle the economy than the current Labor Government.’
Read Ian McAuley’s New Matilda article – ‘Abbott’s figures don’t add up’ – in full
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