Centre for Policy Development's Blog, page 86

U.K. Government Online | From Big Society to good society

U.K. Government Online has added a link to the ABC’s Religion and Ethics article, “From Big Society to good society: Are there lessons for Australia?“, which discusses the Centre for Policy Development’s new report, “Big Society and Australia“. The report offers an analysis of the Big Society policy agenda being implemented in the United Kingdom and potential impacts if such changes were introduced in Australia.

Visit the U.K. Government Online – U.K. Prime Minister site here.

Read the complete ABC Religion and Ethics article here.

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Service Delivery in Government | Centre for Policy Development publishes report on the Big Society and what it means for Australia

Service Delivery in Government has published a post on the Centre for Policy Development’s new report, “Big Society and Australia“, which offers an analysis of the Big Society policy agenda being implemented in the United Kingdom and potential impacts if such changes were introduced in Australia.

Service Delivery in Government is an online resource providing easy access to  current information and resources on service delivery. The blog is maintained by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) Library Services.

Access the post here.

 

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CPSU | Big Society in Oz?

The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has published an article on the Centre for Policy Development’s new report, “Big Society and Australia“, which offers an analysis of the Big Society policy agenda being implemented in the United Kingdom and potential impacts if such changes were introduced in Australia.

The CPSU article observes that “On the surface, the UK’s Big Society appeals to widely held values about citizen empowerment, co-production, diversity and autonomy. In reality, it’s being used to transfer public wealth to corporations, disempower non-government organisations and weaken the public sector.”

The article also describes how “Under the UK’s Big Society changes, the UK government has outsourced services to ‘any willing provider’…In reality, existing corporations have dominated the outsourcing process and, despite Cameron’s enthusiasm for philanthropy and social investment, these alternative revenue streams have failed to meet expectations… The thinking behind the move is that the private sector is intrinsically more efficient than the public sector.”

Read a the complete CPSU article here.

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Monty Pelican Society | August 2012 Meeting

How the UK Government is dismantling the state and what it means for Australia
“Bush declared war on terror, Blair declared war on crime and it’s like Cameron has declared war on the public sector.”

It’s just over two years since David Cameron was elected as British Prime Minister. Since his election, Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ policies that have ‘redefined the role of the state’. By commissioning ‘any willing provider’, the UK Government has contracted corporations to play a dominant role in delivering a wide range of services that were previously managed by public servants or community groups. Other ‘Big Society’ changes have diminished the capacity of the public and community sectors. The impacts of the Big Society programs in the UK have included:

An £81 billion cut in public spending over four years including an average 19 per cent budget cut to government agencies, 60 per cent cut to the budget for new public housing and £7 billion cut to the welfare budget.
The UK’s public service is expected to shrink by up to 710,000 public servants over six years.
Corporations and the largest charities have dominated the commissioning process: 35 of 40 Work Programme (employment agency) contracts were awarded to corporations.
Cameron’s budgets have dealt a £5 billion funding cut to the UK’s community sector and funding cuts of £110 million to 2,000 UK charities
The number of people employed in the UK’s community sector fell by 70,000.
Local government budgets were cut by more than a quarter in 2010-11 resulting in staff cuts of 10-20 per cent and widespread cuts to programs.
During 2010-11, public sector employment fell by 4.3 per cent. Private sector employment increased by 1.5 per cent.

In Australia, ‘Big Society’ ideas are generating interest and support amongst conservative think tanks and politicians. CPD’s report presents a comprehensive analysis of the UK’s ‘Big Society’ policies and programs and examines their potential impact if adopted and implemented in Australia. We hope the report contributes to an informed debate about the merits of ‘small government’ ideologies and policies that often receive less than critical media and political commentary.

Date: Wednesday, 1 August

Time: 5.30pm-7.00pm

Venue: Seminar Room 6, Lvl 1, Merewether Building, University of Sydney, Darlington Campus

Readings

CPD Big Society and Australia Report: http://tinyurl.com/ozbigsociety

Guest Speaker

James Whelan is the Research Director for Public Service Research Program at the Centre for Policy Development. James’ research history includes leading social science research programs with several universities and research institutions to examine deliberative and collaborative governance, environmental politics and social movements. He was theme leader for the Coastal Cooperative Research Centre’s Citizen Science research program, has published widely and presented at national and international conferences. James has worked with several social and environmental justice NGOs including Greenpeace and Amnesty International. He is founder-director of the Change Agency, a not-for-profit education and action research initiative that supports progressive social movements in the Asia-Pacific region.

For information about MPS meetings call Troy Henderson on 0466 694 371 or email troyhATsearch.org.au

MPS is a project of the SEARCH Foundation (www.search.org.au )

James Whelan | ABC TV 730, Thursday 31 May 2012

In tonight’s episode of the 730 Report on ABC TV, just one day after the release of the CPD Big Society and Australia report, Centre for Policy Development public service program Research Director Dr James Whelan is interviewed, alongside NSW State Treasurer Mike Baird and leading NGO representatives, as well as senior banking spokespeople, about Social Benefits Bond and their place within the broader ‘Big Society’ policy framework.

WATCH the full program on ABC iview here

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James Whelan | From Big Society to good society, ABC Religion and Ethics

ABC Religion and Ethics published an original opinion piece by Dr James Whelan to mark the release of the new CPD report, Big Society and Australia.

Entitled From Big Society to good society: Are there lessons for Australia? the article explores the disconnect between Big Society rhetoric and the reality of its implementation by the current UK Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government under David Cameron.

Access the full article on ABC Religion and Ethics here, and visit the CPD public service program’s Big Society page here.

UK’s “Big Society” Alarming Parallels for Australia | Pro Bono News

Pro Bono Australia has published an article on the Centre for Policy Development’s new report, “Big Society and Australia“, which offers an analysis of the Big Society policy agenda being implemented in the United Kingdom and potential impacts if such changes were introduced in Australia.

The article quotes the report’s author, Dr James Whelan, as stating that “A close look at ‘Big Society’ reveals the disconnect between its pro-community rhetoric and its small government reality. It’s a new sales pitch for unpopular ideas like privatisation and cuts to public services, wrapped up in language that has widespread appeal.” Pro Bono Australia also observes that “The strain caused by the UK’s budget cuts has led to the closure of many community services that relied on both government funding and volunteers. Big Society and Australia argues that volunteerism and philanthropy must be valued, but they cannot fill the gap left by a significant withdrawal of public spending.”

Read a the complete Pro Bono Australia News article here.

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Pro Bono News | UK’s “Big Society” Alarming Parallels for Australia – Report

Pro Bono Australia has published an article on the Centre for Policy Development’s new report, “Big Society and Australia“, which offers an analysis of the Big Society policy agenda being implemented in the United Kingdom and potential impacts if such changes were introduced in Australia.

The article quotes the report’s author, Dr James Whelan, as stating that “A close look at ‘Big Society’ reveals the disconnect between its pro-community rhetoric and its small government reality. It’s a new sales pitch for unpopular ideas like privatisation and cuts to public services, wrapped up in language that has widespread appeal.” Pro Bono Australia also observes that “The strain caused by the UK’s budget cuts has led to the closure of many community services that relied on both government funding and volunteers. Big Society and Australia argues that volunteerism and philanthropy must be valued, but they cannot fill the gap left by a significant withdrawal of public spending.”

Read a the complete Pro Bono Australia News article here.

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James Whelan | CPSU The Works

CPD Research Director James Whelan has been published in CPSU’s The Works Autumn 2012 Issue (page 13), outlining his pending report ‘Big Society and Australia’. The report, which can be downloaded here from 30/5/2012, presents a comprehensive analysis of David Cameron’s Big Society policies and programs in the UK and the alarming parallels with certain trends in Australia – like the widespread obsession with budget surpluses, and the habit of outsourcing public services without safeguarding the public interest.

 In Australia’s increasing uncertain political environment, it is vitally important that our community learns as much as it can about the Big Society, in order to participate in a democratic discussion about the public service and its place in Australian society.

DOWNLOAD a copy of CPSU The Works.

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Refugee Week Forum 2012 | 20th June, Sydney

Refugee Week Forum, 1st floor Balmain Town Hall, 370 Darling Street, Balmain, Wednesday 20th June 6.30 for 7-9 p.m. (lift available)

The Forum, Not Political Football: Real Solutions for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, is being hosted by the Balmain for Refugees Group of Balmain Uniting Church.

It will be addressed by John Menadue and Lucy Morgan, Policy Officer from the  Refugee Council of Australia. Mr Menadue, a former Secretary of the Department of Immigration, and now Board Director of the Centre for Policy Development, is joint author of CPD’s A New Approach: Breaking the Stalemate on Refugees and Asylum Seekers.

The Forum will also provide the public with an opportunity to listen to an interview by Ngareta Rossell, BFR’s media officer with Ali Al Jenabi, whose story is the subject“The People Smuggler: the Oskar Schindler of Asia”, written by Robyn de Crespigny

Forum issues include :

 Australia’s regional responsibilities to refugees and asylum seekers including the possibility of negotiating an orderly departure program from “source” countries such as Afghanistan and from backlogs of refugees, asylum seekers and close  family members in Indonesia and Malaysia.


The tyranny of the present structure of Australia’s current Immigration categories and numbers in regard to the offshore and onshore annual Immigration .


 The impact on asylum seekers and their families of Australia’s refugee processing and family reunion programs, and mandatory detention policies.

Kate Maclurcan, folk singer and former Asylum Seeker Worker for Bridge for Asylum Seekers Foundation will sing some refugee songs.

Rochelle Porteous, Mayor of Leichhardt, will moderate the Forum.

Free entry. Donations to Bridge for Asylum Seekers Foundation, sister organization of Balmain for Refugees. www.asylumseekersfoundation.org