Policy Monographs
Policy Monographs (PM) are pieces directly commenting on government policy, new programs or legislation.
Categories
Panacea to Prison? Justice Reinvestment in Indigenous Communities
High Indigenous incarceration has elicited a long list of so-called solutions over the years. Yet the percentage of Aboriginal people in custody has continued to rise, and is now nearly double what it... Read More
Indigenous Education 2012
Indigenous Education 2012 reviews the lack of progress by states and territories in improving Indigenous literacy and numeracy. It examines causes of Indigenous students’ success and failure, and the... Read More
Charlatan Training: How Aboriginal Health Workers Are Being Short-changed
Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs) have been short changed. They have not only been provided with charlatan training but also sold a charlatan role. The amount of training they receive does not match the... Read More
Alcohol Restrictions in Indigenous Communities and Frontier Towns
The double standards applied to the enforcement of liquor legislation have contributed to the alcohol problems present in many Indigenous communities. For there to be a civil society, regulation (or controls)... Read More
Private Housing on Indigenous Lands
Legislation and programs to introduce private housing and businesses on Indigenous land are flawed. Tenure of Indigenous land should be amended to 999-year head leases with the provision for sub-leases... Read More
Indigenous Education 2010
The 2009 NAPLAN literacy and numeracy tests confirm the continued failure of Indigenous education. The government's 'closing the gap' objectives will never be achieved unless real changes to policy are... Read More
Indigenous Employment, Unemployment and Labour Force Participation: Facts for Evidence Based Policies
Professor Helen Hughes, Senior Research Fellow at the CIS and Mark Hughes highlight that Indigenous non-labour force participation is a much greater problem than unemployment. ‘Indigenous unemployment... Read More
Closing the Accountability Gap: The First Step Towards Better Indigenous Health
Sara Hudson argues that the untargeted nature of government spending in indigenous health means that it is difficult to know what services the money is buying and for whom. Read More
Revisiting Indigenous Education
Aboriginal and Torres Islander children in remote communities must not be viewed as ‘different’ from other Australian children. So long as cultural traits justify the removal of children from mainstream... Read More
From Rhetoric to Reality: Can 99-year Leases Lead to Homeownership for Indigenous Communities?
The lack of private property rights on communal title land has prevented Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders from becoming homeowners. Read More
CDEP: Help or Hindrance? The Community Development Employment Program and its Impact on Indigenous Australians
Established more than thirty years ago, the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program has expanded to range from substituting for local government services to offering payment for housework... Read More
Indigenous Education in the Northern Territory
The causes of failing education—inequitable school facilities, inappropriate curriculums, and inadequate teaching—in Aboriginal schools are well known. Unfortunately, these causes have not been addressed... Read More
