Podcasts: Policy Forum

Australia is getting set to head to the polls. But what policy areas are likely to feature over the coming weeks, and what policy issues are likely to be ignored? In this Australian election special pod, policy experts Quentin Grafton, Sue Regan and Bob Cotton chat with Martyn Pearce about what has been promised, what might be promised, what will be promised, and what should be promised.

The Australian Higher Education Scheme (HECS) was a landmark piece of public policy. It offers students the chance to undertake higher education and repay the cost only once they reach an earnings threshold. But HECS - these days called the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) - has become an election issue following the release of a recent report showing sharp increases in HECS costs over the next decade.

Joseph Zveglich and Christopher Edmonds from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) chat with Policy Forum Pod about the findings of ADB’s flagship economic publication: Asian Development Outlook 2016. They discuss key issues including economic prospects for developing Asia and the Pacific, the impact of China’s slowdown on the region, and approaches to boosting future growth.

Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan's economy, contributing over 20 per cent of the national GDP. But, what does the future hold for this important sector and will the government protect farmers while opening up the sector to private business? In this Policy Forum pod, Dr Aamer Irshad of the Planning Commission of Pakistan talks about the short, medium and long-term goals of the sector and its role in the region.

The Australian Defence White Paper sets out an ambitious and expensive future for Australia's defence capabilities. But how does it stack up? Associate Professor Stephan Fruehling and Professor Hugh White from the ANU Coral Bell School run the rule over the white paper on this Policy Forum Pod with Martyn Pearce.

In many countries voters are increasingly turning towards leaders they see as 'authentic'. But does authenticity lead to good policy outcomes? In the very first Policy Forum Pod, Quentin Grafton sorts the authentic from the fake authentic and says voters need to pay attention to both the message, and the messenger.