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Articles on NSW politics

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Some homeless youth facing criminal charges in NSW are being accommodated in prisons. Adrian Fallace/flikr

NSW bail laws mean well but are landing homeless kids in prison

Homeless children charged in NSW with a criminal offence who are unable to meet bail conditions are being kept in custody. It’s due, in part, to a well-meant but flawed section of the Bail Act.
The historical, social and moral reasons for retaining the Sirius Building for public housing are compelling, but the state government is focused on the money from its sale. Jenny Noyes/Newzulu/AAP

Why moving out public housing tenants is a tragedy for Millers Point and for Sydney

The state is ignoring historical, social and moral reasons to keep public housing in Heritage areas of Sydney. Its sell-off will further divide the city between rich and poor and end a rich history.
A helping hand for school children from disadvantaged backgrounds would yield economic benefits for NSW. AAP Image/Joe Castro

Reimagining NSW: tackling education inequality with early intervention and better research

Evidence suggests early intervention to improve educational opportunities for low-income kids yields impressive long term results – but we need to use better evaluation methods to know what works.
Are NSW citizens adequately engaged in the policymaking process? AAP/Joel Carrett

Reimagining NSW: how good governance strengthens democracy

Good governance is the right thing to do, and boosts the legitimacy of decision-making. If moral chivalry doesn’t appeal, here are two more reasons: it’s cost-efficient and delivers better solutions.
When public housing like the properties in Sydney’s Millers Point is privatised, it profoundly changes the social mix of the inner city to something much more homogenous. AAP/Newzulu/Peter Boyle

Suburbanising the centre: the Baird government’s anti-urban agenda for Sydney

The NSW government agenda would deny the ‘right to the city’, that network of diverse communities, practices and places which give rise to the convivial and inclusive potential of cities.
Those opposed to forced municipal mergers have reason to be sceptical of NSW Premier Mike Baird’s promises that it will improve councils’ performance. AAP/Paul Miller

Do mergers make for better councils? The evidence is against ‘bigger is better’ for local government

If forced amalgamations proceed, we may well see hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer and ratepayer funds squandered simply because policymakers preferred dogma to empirical evidence.
The critical issues underlying the debate about Sydney’s nightlife include worsening inequality and who is getting left behind. AAP/Richard Ashen

Beyond lockouts: Sydney needs to become a more inclusive city

Without the public mobilising over inequalities that are so ingrained in its psyche, Sydney is unlikely to see its nightlife reflect true social inclusion and diversity.
Almost four years since the process of restructuring local government began, the Baird government faces many challenges in finalising its plans. AAP/Lukas Coch

NSW councils shake-up: is the endgame near?

Wherever governments have merged local councils, they have faced a political backlash. New South Wales is no exception and, nearly four years into the process, many challenges lie ahead.
One of the most dangerous times in an abusive relationship is when it ends – which was when Clare Wood was murdered by her ex-partner. Paul Millar/AAP

Violent offenders registers sound good, but are a costly, unproven distraction

Giving people the right to ask about their partner’s history of domestic violence sounds like a good idea – but there are good reasons why Rosie Batty and others have raised concerns.
For a modest amount, the Custody Notification Service provides NSW with one of the most effective strategies in curbing Indigenous deaths in police custody.` shutterstock

NSW ditches another protection for Indigenous people in custody

Without the Custody Notification Service in NSW, deaths of Indigenous people in police custody will almost certainly increase, along with the over-representation of Indigenous people in prison.
Long Bay Correctional Centre was dubbed the ‘Long Bay Hilton’ by ‘tough on crime’ advocates whose campaigns helped fill prison cells to overflowing. Wikimedia Commons/J Bar

State of imprisonment: prisoners of NSW politics and perceptions

Most crime in NSW has been declining since the early 2000s, and the state’s current murder rate is half what it was in 1988. So why is the NSW prison population growing?

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