Month: March 2025 AWST

Reported at www.theguardian.com: Many Australian public schools are seeing high parental contributions, with the top 50 schools charging an average of over $1,800 per student, raising concerns about the principle of free education.

Canning College in Western Australia had the highest contributions, averaging around $20,000 per year, largely due to its high number of international students.

Education experts warn that this trend creates inequities, particularly in selective schools that often cater to more affluent families, undermining the goal of providing equitable public education.

Reported at www.abc.net.au: Queensland MP Robbie Katter advocates for an increase in the number of state representatives to enhance rural representation, whilst noting that his electorate of Traeger is larger than Poland and poses significant management challenges.

Katter argues that the current structure favours urban areas, leading to an imbalance in representation that inadequately addresses the needs of rural regions, where much of the state’s wealth is generated.

An independent review of the electoral boundaries is upcoming, but any increase in parliamentary seats would require legislative changes, which the government has not ruled out.

Reported at michaelwest.com.au: The Albanese Labor government has privatised aged care assessments, awarding nearly $1.5 billion in contracts to for-profit companies, despite warnings from the Aged Care Royal Commission about conflicts of interest and risks to older Australians’ health.

Organisations conducting assessments, like Catholic Healthcare, also provide aged care services, raising concerns about impartiality and assessment quality.

The shift from public council assessments to private sector evaluations has led to significant errors in assessments, prompting criticism of the new Single Assessment System.

Reported at www.theguardian.com: In the latest episode of Guardian Australia’s politics podcast, Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry discuss the disruptive impact of Donald Trump on election campaigns.

The episode also covers topics such as Australia’s bulk-billing policy, questions surrounding Peter Dutton’s share purchases, and the political implications of China’s live-fire drills.