Proposed reforms to the sex industry in Victoria intended to help women are likely to have the opposite effect, Tegan Larin writes.

Multiculturalism is an increasingly contested term in Australia. These debates often involve declaring its ‘costs’ and ‘benefits’, but usually thrive absent of evidence. However, new research on urban policy in Central Dandenong can shed light on this, Helen Sullivan, Brendan Gleeson and Hayley Henderson write.

Reflecting on the fire season ravaging the country, providing an in-depth personal perspective, Policy Forum’s Editor-in-Chief Quentin Grafton recounts his own experience of the bushfire threat and provides a timeline of the unfolding chaos.

With fires devastating much of Australia, people are looking for answers. Reintroducing traditional fire management practices, taxing industries that contribute to climate change, and dramatically accelerating emissions reduction efforts are central to the solution, Byron Fay writes.

While we all still grieve for the victims of Australia’s devastating bushfires, in this In Focus section, Policy Forum will take a look at what comes next. Angus Blackman kicks us off by asking the crucial questions: how do we protect against future disasters, help communities recover, and cope with a changing climate?

This year Policy Forum has produced more than 100 podcasts covering a huge range of topics from around the world. Our three podcast series – Democracy Sausage, Policy Forum Pod, and the National Security Podcast – tackled everything from Brexit Britain to public service reform. In this post, we present to you the top 10 of podcasts that you were listening to. And if you haven’t listened to them yet, when better than the Christmas break to do so?