The God Debate

In this Gifford lecture Professor Terry Eagleton wonders why God has suddenly reappeared in intellectual debate? Why is the world suddenly thronged with atheists who are as obsessed with religion as puritans are with sex

Clinics and GPs the first step to e-health: Academic Australia

E-health systems should focus on General Practitioners first, before widening to hospitals and specialists, according to the Professor of Surgery at the University of Sydney, by James Hutchinson. Computerworld, 11 May, 2010

The Future of Political Islam

What is the future of political Islam? Renowned French scholar Professor Giles Kepel examines the trajectory of al-Qaeda’s brand of violent extremism, as well as the challenges faced by mainstream Islamist movements seeking democratic openings in parts of the Islamic world

Time for cooperative government to deliver climate action

We are at a moment of great opportunity. Cooperative government in Tasmania may be about to deliver another period of positive reform

Kevin Rudd’s health plan needs more work

In an effort to break the Senate deadlock on private health insurance legislation this year I moved an amendment to put an additional $145 million into mental health services – exactly the programs Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry says are needed if we are to tackle the biggest cause of death for under 45-year-olds. It would have been a win-win outcome – a massive boost to mental health and potential circuit breaker that could have freed up $1.7 billion for public hospitals. But the Government rejected the Greens’ constructive pro-public health approach.

Deadlock on climate action helps no-one

On December 2 last year, after being blind-sided by the unexpected elevation of Tony Abbott to the Liberal Party leadership, the Rudd government made a hasty announcement that they may well come to regret – that they would bring back their twice-defeated emissions trading bill a third time as soon as Parliament resumed in February.