The Productivity Commission this week released the health section of its Report on Government Services. But what does it tell us, and why is it important?
Poor mental health costs the Australian economy up to A$220 billion a year, according to the Productivity Commission. It will take more than piecemeal 'announceables' to fix the situation.
Tradespeople and others in licensed occupations would find it easier to work across state and territory boundaries next year under a plan being developed.
The Tariff Board was told that if women could buy music that was cheap they would buy music that was dirty.
Vanguard Laundry Services in Toowoomba, Queensland, has provided jobs to about 78 people with histories of mental illness and long-term unemployment.
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The Productivity Commission has highlighted the growing burden of mental illness in Australia. But to really change things, its final recommendations should have a sharper focus on prevention.
Rental stress leaves hundreds of thousands of Australians struggling for years to cover all the other costs of living.
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After paying rent, more than half of low-income tenants don't have enough left over for other essentials. And the latest evidence shows nearly half of them are stuck in this situation for years.
Unless the Productivity Commission inquiry examines the government’s shortcomings, it will fail to bring any necessary improvements.
Inala Wangarra
When it comes to improving Indigenous policies and programs, Indigenous communities should be the ones evaluating government – rather than the other way around.
Every reference but one to inequality nearly doubling was removed from an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report.
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The Institute for Health and Welfare issued an "errata" to correct statements about inequality that were perfectly correct.
The statistics show the wealthiest households are getting a growing share of household wealth. The Productivity Commission is trying to tell us they are not.
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Freedom of Information documents show the Bureau of Statistics spent a good deal of effort toning down news of rising inequality. The Productivity Commission seems to have been at it too.
Failure to further strengthen the compulsory super system would be disadvantageous to many future retirees and be an added burden on a later generation of taxpayers.
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Liberal senator Andrew Bragg is one of the Coalition backbenchers who oppose the scheduled superannuation guarantee rise to 12%. They are looking to the retirement incomes inquiry to leverage change.
Indigenous students usually start university later in life.
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A recent Productivity Commission report showed the demand driven system of university funding didn't increase participation rates for Indigenous students. But our analysis actually shows the opposite.
More students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are attending university than a decade ago.
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Incoming Director of the Australian Institute of Business and Economics at UQ, and Professor of Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, Macquarie University