Episode 25 – produced for the week ending 18 October 2013

Topics

Bringing market disciplines to public hospitals – lessons from the UK

Bikie gangs and expanding police powers

Special guest Nick Cater joins us to reflect on the response to his book

With Jeremy Sammut and Trisha Jha, produced by Matt O’Connell

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This week on the CIS Podcast we are joined by CIS visiting fellow and author Nick Cater, Jeremy Sammut also stops by the Podcast studio to take us through his latest research report, and Trisha Jha looks at the troubling new anti-bikie laws passed this week in Queensland.

Topics

Political polarisation and the culture wars | Nick Cater, new visiting fellow at the CIS and author of The Lucky Culture and the rise of an Australian Ruling Class discusses the reaction to his book, whether left and right labels are worth anything and gives us a sneak peak of the research for his next book. Remember you can hear Nick speak at an upcoming CIS event on the Enlightenment on the 7th of November – book now!

Getting spiralling healthcare costs under control; public hospital governance reform | We discuss the latest CIS report on the problems in Australia’s public hospitals. Jeremy Sammut, co-author of the report, takes us through the UK Foundation Trust model that could serve as away to bring some financial accountability to this important sector.

The conflict between bikies, police and liberal values | Trisha Jha gives us her view on the new police powers and sentencing requirements introduced in Queensland this week as a way to tackle outlaw bikie gangs.

WasteWatch

This week’s WasteWatch segment discusses just how many Senators might be getting new TVs at the taxpayers expense.

Further Reading

Dr Jeremy Sammut and Professor Peter Phelan’s new report - Overcoming Governance and Cost Challenges for Australian Public Hospitals: The Foundation Trust Alternative