Media & Commentary
Media Items
Fall in ageing Australians’ home-ownership rates looms as seismic shock for housing policy
Outright home ownership has long been regarded as a supporting pillar of Australian retirement incomes policies. A report released today by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) raises concerns that rising mortgage debt and falling home ownership rates... Read article
Greater support needed for women pursuing careers in STEM, study finds
Women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields are facing barriers that require attitude changes and additional support – such as scholarships and tax breaks – in order for Australia to truly benefit from more women in the... Read article
Housing stress easing for home owners but still an issue for renters
— Rents not falling in line with WA’s softening housing market — — Policy intervention is required to generate a sustained supply of affordable housing — Low-income earners and single parents are among the Australian households who are regularly struggling... Read article
Housing affordability has improved slightly, but people on lower incomes will continue to struggle
The re-election of the Morrison government has delivered an Australian housing policy platform based on home ownership. The recently announced First Home Loan Deposit Scheme and the existing First Home Super Saver Scheme complement first home buyer grants and stamp... Read article
Aussie students impacted by inequality of their family’s origins: study
The gender stereotypes and cultural norms of a child’s family heritage impacts their academic performance in Australian schools, research led by the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre shows. The research, published in The Australian Educational Researcher, compared 2015 Programme for International... Read article
More hospitals will not cure Australia’s ailing health-care system. There’s a more efficient way
The federal government has just promised to increase spending on public hospitals from A$21.7 billion in 2018 to A$26.2 billion by 2023. Expect more hospital promises in coming weeks. There is a long history of parties at both state and... Read article
Gender equity. The way things are going, we won’t reach true parity until the 22nd century
The good news this International Women’s Day is that women are now moving through the ranks into management roles faster than men. If things continue at this rate it will take just two more decades for women to hold the... Read article
Equal share of female managers on the horizon, but next century for CEOs
— Women breaking through the glass ceiling earn $162k less than men — — Employer-paid parental leave a key driver in mothers returning to work — The highest paid men in Australia are being paid at least $162,000 more than... Read article
More than 50% of rural West Australians are volunteers
— Shortage of volunteers in rural WA and further decline to come — — Volunteer burnout a real risk to regional organisations relying on volunteers — Western Australia’s rural communities are more actively engaged in volunteering than their city counterparts,... Read article
Australia’s low-paid workforce a threat to wages growth
This article first appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald. Australia is building one of the biggest low-paid workforces in its history, with serious consequences for the economy and wages. Carers – aged care, childcare and disability care workers – have... Read article
Aged care workforce not keeping up with high care demand
— WA health sector third biggest contributor to the economy — — Increase in healthcare workers in psychological distress — — WA receiving less Federal health funding than other states — Lower paid and lower skilled personal care workers are... Read article
Bankwest and Curtin extend partnership for economic research centre
Bankwest and Curtin University have renewed the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC) partnership for a further four years. The partnership, which was extended this month, will enable the BCEC to continue to build its growing international reputation as a leading,... Read article