Sue Olney
The Productivity Commission’s 2018 report on the community sector reported that productivity failings within the sector were failing people experiencing hardship. In today’s post, David Tennant of Family Care suggests that this conclusion should be revisited in light of the policy changes instituted in response to COVID-19.
Read MoreWhen the Productivity Commission recently released their draft report into mental health, there was a somewhat surprising focus on structural issues – particularly the role that the social safety net plays in supporting people with mental health conditions, their family members and carers. This is a particularly important issue for women, who have higher rates of diagnosis of mental health conditions and are more likely to be in unpaid caring roles. In today’s analysis, Yvette Maker of the Melbourne Social Equity Institute provides a summary of the draft report’s main concerns and what will be needed for the final report to make a real difference to current government policy trends.
Read MoreAmid all the concerns about the future of Medicare, incredibly the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into introducing competition, contestability and user choice into human services barely rated a mention during the recent federal election campaign.
It did however in a welcome and comprehensive panel discussion hosted last Sunday on the ABC's Sunday Nights with John Cleary program which declared the inquiry "a foundational issue for the whole shape and future of Australia society".
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