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Articles on Kevin Andrews

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Pauline Hanson incorrectly claimed women are frequently making up allegations of domestic violence in family courts. AAP Image/Sam Mooy

We don’t need another inquiry into family law – we need action

It seems the driving force behind this new inquiry is Pauline Hanson’s unsupported claim women often make up allegations of domestic violence in family courts.
The government is making frantic efforts to seal a deal on its school plan before parliament adjourns for the winter break. Rob Blakers/AAP

Government reaches out to Catholics on Gonski 2.0

Simon Birmingham met Catholic education representatives on Monday night, receiving such a haranguing that at times it was difficult for him to get a word in.
Speaker Bronwyn Bishop has resigned from her position after weeks of controversy over her use of entitlements. Lukas Coch/AAP

Bronwyn Bishop finally resigns as Speaker

Bronwyn Bishop has finally quit the speakership after weeks of revelations about her extravagant claims.
Defence Minister Kevin Andrews has stood by the term “competitive evaluation process” despite many questioning what it means. Nikki Short/AAP

Too much at stake for weasel words on submarines

It appeared to be the announcement Australian industry had been waiting for. Finally, political pressure on prime minister Tony Abbott’s leadership had forced a “fair go” for Australian shipbuilding. On…
Defence’s year in 2015 will be defined primarily by its response to the forthcoming white paper. AAP/Hugh Peterswald

Shaping 2015: Andrews must show $30b defence budget is well spent

Australia has decisively responded to the strategic uncertainty of contemporary East Asia by forming committees and undertaking reviews. 2015 brings with it Australia’s third defence white paper in six…
Howard-era Human Rights Commissioner Sev Ozdowski is the new chairman of the revamped Australian Multicultural Council. AAP/Matthias Engesser

New Multicultural Council signals a broader shift to the right

Late in December, I took a phone call from a young woman working for the Department of Social Services. She had called, she said, because the department was checking its database of contacts, so that the…
In the seven years since the Northern Territory Intervention, a large body of evidence has been built up showing few if any benefits from compulsory - as distinct from voluntary - income management. AAP/Terry Trewin

Government that ignores evidence sets up welfare policies to fail

The mess of federal budget negotiations has taken over the limited space for social policy debates. However, we are due to get final reports on a range of inquiries. These include the McClure report on…
Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews believes couples counselling will ultimately save Australia money. Lukas Coch/AAP

Cost of love: will subsidising couples counselling actually work?

Social services minister Kevin Andrews claims his A$20 million Stronger Relationships Trial will save the government money in the long run by reducing family breakdown. But will it work? The trial, which…
Howard government minister Mal Brough first proposed part-quarantining welfare payments in the lead-up to the Northern Territory intervention. Now it could become a mainstream welfare policy. AAP/Tracey Nearmy

Creeping spread of income management must be challenged

One of the bizarre bipartisan policy overlaps between the Coalition and Labor is in the area of income support known as welfare payments. Labor has been seen as the party that cared about the poor and…
If Kevin Andrews was serious about sustainable welfare spending, his review would not have excluded the biggest, fastest-growing and most poorly targeted areas of expenditure. AAP/Lukas Coch

Age Pension reform needed for a fair, sustainable welfare system

Social services minister Kevin Andrews says a concern that the system is unsustainable is driving his review of welfare. It’s true that Australia has a budget sustainability problem. It’s not true that…
Moving some sole parents onto the lower Newstart payments has pushed up the numbers. Alan Porritt/AAPIMAGE

Is ‘unsustainable’ welfare growth really being driven by Newstart?

Social services minister Kevin Andrews has targeted the Disability Support Pension and Newstart, the main payment for the unemployed, for reform, branding the current level of welfare as unsustainable…
Single parents’ protests last year at being transferred to Newstart were ignored, and the evidence suggests the move made it harder to get suitable work to support their families. AAP/Paul Miller

An 800,000-plus jobs gap between ‘welfare to work’ and reality

The major missing factor in debates on cutting welfare spending – as has been flagged by social services minister Kevin Andrews – is the limited and falling demand for labour. Labour market figures give…

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