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Why is the Sydney church stabbing an act of terrorism, but the Bondi tragedy isn’t?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/greg-barton-10990">Greg Barton</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> Just days after the deadly <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-14/several-killed-in-mass-stabbing-at-westfield-bondi-junction/103705354">Westfield Bondi attacks</a>, a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-16/albanese-says-there-is-no-place-for-violence-in-our-community/10372830">second knife attack</a> in Sydney has generated widespread shock and grief. This time, a 16-year-old entered an Assyrian church and rushed forward to stab the popular bishop presiding over a service, together with a priest who rushed to his defence. The shocking events were captured on the church’s video stream, and the news quickly reached thousands of members of Sydney’s large Assyrian community. While both priests were injured, thankfully the knife blows were not fatal. Parishioners immobilised the attacker, and police and paramedics swarmed the church. Police moved quickly to identify the assailant and analyse his apparent motivation before announcing they were treating the attack as a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-68823240">terrorist incident</a> early this morning. Public knife attacks are rare in Australia, and for Sydney to experience two in quick succession has rightfully alarmed many and, understandably, led to comparisons between the two. A lot of the discussion is around why the Bondi Junction shopping mall attack in which six were killed wasn’t considered terrorism, but this shocking, but non-lethal, attack was. So what do we know about the church attack, and what important distinctions can be made between it and the awful events at Bondi? <h2>What happened at the church?</h2> Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel has developed a large following, not just in Australia but in the Assyrian diaspora <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-16/who-is-bishop-mar-mari-emmanuel-wakeley-church-attack/103728808">around the world</a>, with his live-streamed sermons. Shortly after seven o'clock on Monday night, the video feed of the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Sydney’s outer west went dead, but not before it captured the shocking attack and parishioners rushing forward to help. Almost immediately, crowds gathered outside the church. We don’t yet know the motivations of the people who turned up, but it can be assumed they were there because they either saw or heard of what had happened and rushed over out of concern. Tragically, at some point the dynamics of the fast-swelling crowd took a dark turn. Instead of letting the large police and ambulance presence continue to handle the situation, some emotional onlookers turned on the authorities. Multiple police officers and paramedics were injured and vehicles were heavily damaged. It’s likely the fact the attack was captured on video, and therefore able to be shared and watched over and over again, added to the combustibility of an already volatile situation. It would appear the attack was deliberately planned to provoke an angry response. But what exactly happened in the crowd is the subject of one police investigation. <h2>Why is it considered a terrorist act?</h2> The other investigation is an anti-terrorism one. This is because while the teenager acted alone, it’s very likely they had received encouragement and backing from others. <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/unabomber">The Unabomber</a> is one of the very few documented cases of someone committing violence for ideological reasons truly in isolation. This lone actor attack in Sydney is reminiscent of the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-03/nsw-police-headquarters-gunman-was-radicalised-youth/6825028">2015 murder</a> of police accountant Curtis Cheng. He was shot dead by a 15-year-old who had been radicalised by supporters of Islamic State. It later came out <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-14/curtis-cheng-murder-surveillance-man-guilty-of-terror-plan/10900982">in court</a> the attack had been planned by three other people, who also supplied him with the gun. Police were quick to pronounce the knife attack on Monday to be an act of terrorism. Having identified the attacker, they would have been studying his social connections and examining his digital footprint. The police assessment would have also given attention to the particulars of the church targeted. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Assyrian">Assyrians</a> (people from northwest Iraq, northeast Syria and southeast Turkey) are almost exclusively Christian, belonging to one of the oldest churches in existence, living in precisely that part of the world in which the Islamic State established its brutal caliphate. It’s telling that before the caliphate was established, Assyrians made up just 3% of the Iraqi population. But in the wake of Islamic State sweeping across northern Syria and Iraq, Assyrians soon made up <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/assyrian-australians-plead-for-second-special-refugee-settlement-deal/x7ej8ix2y">40%</a> of Iraqi refugees. The trauma of those years is <a href="https://theconversation.com/diversity-and-religious-pluralism-are-disappearing-amid-iraqs-crisis-29832">recent history</a>, fresh in the minds of many. The recent Islamic State claim of responsibility for the <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/27/europe/missing-people-russia-moscow-concert-hall-attack-intl/index.html">recent deadly attacks in Moscow</a>, is a reminder the group remains a live and growing threat. For these reasons police will be looking for any evidence Islamic State might have played a role in inspiring this attack. <h2>Terrorism or not terrorism?</h2> Events at the church have been under a bigger spotlight given the events of the days preceding it. Despite <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/15/false-claims-started-spreading-about-the-bondi-junction-stabbing-attack-as-soon-as-it-happened">early misinformation</a>, police said thathey believe the Bondi killer, Joel Cauchi, was not motivated by a larger political cause – that is, a terrorist motivation. Instead, they say he lashed out violently because of anger control issues related to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/14/joel-cauchi-who-was-the-queensland-man-who-carried-out-the-bondi-junction-mass-stabbing">mental ill-health</a>. But of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/14/bondi-junction-mass-stabbing-attack-who-are-the-six-victims">six people</a> he killed, five were women. Women also make up the majority of those injured. The one man who lost his life, security guard Faraz Tahir, a Muslim refugee from Pakistan, was attacked because he bravely <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/04/16/friend-of-bondi-security-guard-says-his-last-moments-were-brave/">rushed towards</a> danger in an attempt to try to stop Cauchi. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said Cauchi <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-15/westfield-bondi-attack-stabbing-investigation/103706698">deliberately targeted women</a>. So if someone is targeting a specific group of people, isn’t that terrorism? Why does it matter if they were killing based on gender or religion? Is misogyny not terrorism? Put simply, the defining characteristic of terrorism is perpetuating violence in the name of a higher, broader cause. Terrorists have a belief in a collective goal, and see themselves as being backed by people who share that belief. Misogyny can be an element of their motivation and justification of hatred, but it’s part of a larger political project. Basically, it boils down to whether these violent actors think they’re part of a political or religious movement that’s going to <a href="https://theconversation.com/social-inclusion-is-important-in-aotearoa-new-zealand-but-so-is-speaking-honestly-about-terrorism-167429">change the system</a>, or whether they are simply angry men projecting loathing and driven by personal demons. The two, of course, are <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/not-since-the-lindt-siege-has-sydney-known-grief-like-this-20240414-p5fjnl.html">not mutually exclusive</a>. This is not to undermine the damage that angry men can, and do, inflict. Domestic violence is a bigger threat to Australians than terrorism. Calling something a terrorist act doesn’t make it more or less serious than anything else, rather the categorisation is to provide conceptual clarity for the sake of the ensuing investigation. Events at Westfield Bondi Junction and the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church are both awful, but while they share some similarities, they are different sorts of crimes with different drivers and enablers. As police investigations continue, we’ll come to better understand the nature of both.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/227997/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/greg-barton-10990">Greg Barton</a>, Chair in Global Islamic Politics, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> Image credit: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-the-sydney-church-stabbing-an-act-of-terrorism-but-the-bondi-tragedy-isnt-227997">original article</a>. </div>

Caring

No, taking drugs like Ozempic isn’t ‘cheating’ at weight loss or the ‘easy way out’

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/clare-collins-7316">Clare Collins</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a> Obesity medication that is effective has been a long time coming. Enter semaglutide (sold as Ozempic and Wegovy), which is helping people improve weight-related health, including <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37952131/">lowering the risk</a> of a having a heart attack or stroke, while also silencing “<a href="https://theconversation.com/some-ozempic-users-say-it-silences-food-noise-but-there-are-drug-free-ways-to-stop-thinking-about-food-so-much-208467">food noise</a>”. As demand for semaglutide increases, so are <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/in-a-fat-phobic-world-ozempic-is-hardly-the-easy-way-out-20240401-p5fgjd.html">claims</a> that taking it is “cheating” at weight loss or the “easy way out”. We don’t tell people who need statin medication to treat high cholesterol or drugs to manage high blood pressure they’re cheating or taking the easy way out. Nor should we shame people taking semaglutide. It’s a drug used to treat diabetes and obesity which needs to be taken long term and comes with risks and side effects, as well as benefits. When prescribed for obesity, it’s given alongside advice about diet and exercise. <h2>How does it work?</h2> Semaglutide is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GLP-1_receptor_agonist">glucagon-like peptide-1</a> receptor agonist (GLP-1RA). This means it makes your body’s own glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone, called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucagon-like_peptide-1">GLP-1</a> for short, work better. GLP-1 gets secreted by cells in your gut when it <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38218319/">detects increased nutrient levels</a> after eating. This stimulates insulin production, which lowers blood sugars. GLP-1 also slows gastric emptying, which makes you feel full, and reduces hunger and feelings of reward after eating. <iframe id="tc-infographic-1031" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/1031/c11b606581d4bc58a71f066492d7f740b52c04e1/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) medications like Ozempic help the body’s own GLP-1 work better by mimicking and extending its action. Some studies have found less GLP-1 gets released after meals in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38218319/">adults with obesity or type 2 diabetes mellitus</a> compared to adults with normal glucose tolerance. So having less GLP-1 circulating in your blood means you don’t feel as full after eating and get hungry again sooner compared to people who produce more. GLP-1 has a very short half-life of about <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28443255/">two minutes</a>. So GLP-1RA medications were designed to have a very long half-life of about <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33567185/">seven days</a>. That’s why semaglutide is given as a weekly injection. <h2>What can users expect? What does the research say?</h2> Higher doses of semaglutide are prescribed to treat obesity compared to type 2 diabetes management (up to 2.4mg versus 2.0mg weekly). A large group of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36691309/">randomised controlled trials</a>, called STEP trials, all tested weekly 2.4mg semaglutide injections versus different interventions or placebo drugs. Trials lasting 1.3–2 years consistently found weekly 2.4 mg semaglutide injections <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36691309/">led to 6–12% greater weight loss</a> compared to placebo or alternative interventions. The average weight change depended on how long medication treatment lasted and length of follow-up. Weight reduction due to semaglutide also leads to a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36769420/">reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure</a> of about 4.8 mmHg and 2.5 mmHg respectively, a reduction in <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/triglycerides">triglyceride levels</a> (a type of blood fat) and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38041774/">improved physical function</a>. Another recent trial in adults with pre-existing heart disease and obesity, but without type 2 diabetes, found adults receiving weekly 2.4mg semaglutide injections had a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37952131/">20% lower risk</a> of specific cardiovascular events, including having a non-fatal heart attack, a stroke or dying from cardiovascular disease, after three years follow-up. <h2>Who is eligible for semaglutide?</h2> Australia’s regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), has <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/shortages/information-about-major-medicine-shortages/about-ozempic-semaglutide-shortage-2022-and-2023">approved</a> semaglutide, sold as Ozempic, for treating type 2 diabetes. However, due to shortages, the TGA had advised doctors not to start new Ozempic prescriptions for “off-label use” such as obesity treatment and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme doesn’t currently subsidise off-label use. The TGA has <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/prescription-medicines-registrations/wegovy-novo-nordisk-pharmaceuticals-pty-ltd">approved Wegovy to treat obesity</a> but it’s not currently available in Australia. When it’s available, doctors will be able to prescribe <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36934408/">semaglutide to treat obesity</a> in conjunction with lifestyle interventions (including diet, physical activity and psychological support) in adults with obesity (a BMI of 30 or above) or those with a BMI of 27 or above who also have weight-related medical complications. <h2>What else do you need to do during Ozempic treatment?</h2> Checking details of the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36691309/">STEP trial intervention components</a>, it’s clear participants invested a lot of time and effort. In addition to taking medication, people had brief lifestyle counselling sessions with dietitians or other health professionals every four weeks as a minimum in most trials. Support sessions were designed to help people stick with consuming 2,000 kilojoules (500 calories) less daily compared to their energy needs, and performing 150 minutes of <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/tips-for-getting-active">moderate-to-vigorous physical activity</a>, like brisk walking, dancing and gardening each week. STEP trials varied in other components, with follow-up time periods varying from 68 to 104 weeks. The aim of these trials was to show the effect of adding the medication on top of other lifestyle counselling. A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38041774/">review of obesity medication trials</a> found people reported they needed less <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28652832/">cognitive behaviour training</a> to help them stick with the reduced energy intake. This is one aspect where drug treatment may make adherence a little easier. Not feeling as hungry and having environmental food cues “switched off” may mean less support is required for goal-setting, self-monitoring food intake and <a href="https://theconversation.com/9-ways-wont-power-is-better-than-willpower-for-resisting-temptation-and-helping-you-eat-better-71267">avoiding things that trigger eating</a>. <h2>But what are the side effects?</h2> Semaglutide’s side-effects <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38041774/">include</a> nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation, indigestion and abdominal pain. In one study these <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33567185/">led to</a> discontinuation of medication in 6% of people, but interestingly also in 3% of people taking placebos. More severe side-effects included gallbladder disease, acute pancreatitis, hypoglycaemia, acute kidney disease and injection site reactions. To reduce risk or severity of side-effects, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36934408/">medication doses are increased very slowly</a> over months. Once the full dose and response are achieved, research indicates you need to take it long term. Given this long-term commitment, and associated <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/private-health-insurance/what-private-health-insurance-covers/out-of-pocket-costs#:%7E:text=An%20out%20of%20pocket%20cost,called%20gap%20or%20patient%20payments">high out-of-pocket cost of medication</a>, when it comes to taking semaglutide to treat obesity, there is no way it can be considered “cheating”. <hr /> Read the other articles in The Conversation’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/ozempic-series-154673">Ozempic series</a> here.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219116/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/clare-collins-7316">Clare Collins</a>, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-taking-drugs-like-ozempic-isnt-cheating-at-weight-loss-or-the-easy-way-out-219116">original article</a>.

Body

Ozempic isn’t approved for weight loss in Australia. So how are people accessing it?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-pace-1401278">Jessica Pace</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-bartlett-849104">Andrew Bartlett</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nial-wheate-96839">Nial Wheate</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> To say that Ozempic is a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/31/obesity-drug-ozempic-novo-nordisk-record-wegovy">blockbuster drug</a> is an understatement. Manufacturer Novo Nordisk is scrambling to expand production sites to keep up with global demand. While Ozempic is only approved for the treatment of diabetes in Australia, it is also marketed overseas for weight loss under the brand name Wegovy. Social media is full of posts and endorsements by celebrities who are using it for weight loss. Faced with limited access in Australia, some people who need the medication for diabetes can’t access it. Others are turning to the internet to source it from compounding pharmacies – a practice Australia’s regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), plans to clamp down on. <h2>How doctors are prescribing Ozempic</h2> Use of Ozempic for weight loss in Australia is considered “<a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/shortages/information-about-major-medicine-shortages/about-ozempic-semaglutide-shortage-2022-and-2023#why-the-tga-cant-stop-offlabel-prescribing">off label</a>”. This is when a doctor prescribes a medicine for a purpose outside of what is approved. Ozempic is only approved to be used for the treatment of diabetes in Australia, but its off-label prescribing for weight loss is driving <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/shortages/information-about-major-medicine-shortages/about-ozempic-semaglutide-shortage-2022-and-2023#when-will-the-ozempic-shortage-end">shortages</a> which the TGA thinks will last until 2025. To manage these shortages, Australian doctors and pharmacies are being asked <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/shortages/information-about-major-medicine-shortages/about-ozempic-semaglutide-shortage-2022-and-2023#information-for-prescribers">not to start new patients</a> on Ozempic and to prioritise it for patients with type 2 diabetes who are already stabilised on this medicine. However, the TGA <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/shortages/information-about-major-medicine-shortages/about-ozempic-semaglutide-shortage-2022-and-2023#why-the-tga-cant-stop-offlabel-prescribing">says</a> it: "does not have the power to regulate the clinical decisions of health professionals and is unable to prevent doctors from using their clinical judgement to prescribe Ozempic for other health conditions." <h2>Why can’t we just make more?</h2> The active ingredient in Ozempic, semaglutide, is a delicate <a href="https://www.britannica.com/story/what-is-the-difference-between-a-peptide-and-a-protein">peptide</a> molecule made up of two small chains of amino acids. It’s just one in a family of drugs that are classified as GLP-1 inhibitors. Because it’s a peptide, its manufacture is complex and requires specialised facilities beyond those used to make normal chemical-based drugs. It is also delivered via an injection, meaning that it has to be manufactured under strict conditions to ensure it is both sterile and temperature controlled. This means increasing production is not as simple as just deciding to manufacture more. Its manufacturer <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/shortages/information-about-major-medicine-shortages/about-ozempic-semaglutide-shortage-2022-and-2023#why-the-tga-cant-stop-offlabel-prescribing">needs time</a> to build new facilities to increase production. <h2>Compounding pharmacies are making their own</h2> <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/guidance-compliance-regulatory-information/human-drug-compounding#:%7E:text=Compounding%20is%20generally%20a%20practice,needs%20of%20an%20individual%20patient">Compounding</a> is the practice of combining, mixing, or altering ingredients of a drug to create a formulation tailored to the needs of an individual patient. Australian law allows <a href="https://www.pharmacyboard.gov.au/codes-guidelines.aspx">pharmacists to compound</a> only when it is for the treatment of a particular patient to meet their individual clinical need and there is no suitable commercially manufactured product available. An example is making a liquid form of a drug from a tablet for people unable to swallow. Compounded products are not held to the same safety, quality and efficacy standards required for mass produced medicines. This recognises the one-off nature of such compounded medicines and the professional training of the pharmacists who prepare them. Recently, pharmacies have been relying on these compounding rules to produce their own Ozempic-like products at scale and ship them to consumers around Australia. However, there are risks when using these products. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/medications-containing-semaglutide-marketed-type-2-diabetes-or-weight-loss#:%7E:text=Are%20there%20concerns%20with%20compounded,available%20to%20treat%20a%20patient.">warned consumers</a> of the dangers of using compounded formulations that contain particular salt formulations of semaglutide. It has received more reports of side effects in patients using these products. <h2>How the regulator plans to tighten the loophole</h2> The TGA is taking a number of steps to tighten the compounding loophole and there are ongoing investigations in this area. In December 2023, the agency issued a <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/news/safety-alerts/compounding-safety-information-semaglutide-products">public safety warning</a> on the dangers of these compounded medicines. More recently, it has proposed <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-29/compounding-pharmacies-mounjaro-ozempic/103283926">removing GLP-1 drugs</a>, which includes Ozempic, from Australia’s compounding exemptions. This would effectively ban pharmacies from making off-brand Ozempic. This proposal is <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/news/media-releases/consultation-remove-glucagon-peptide-1-glp-1-receptor-agonist-analogues-pharmacist-extemporaneous-compounding-exemption">currently under consultation</a> and a final decision is expected by June this year. If you want to access the drug for weight loss before the shortage is over, be aware that compounded products are not identical to approved Ozempic and have not been evaluated for safety, quality and efficacy. Supply of copycat versions is also likely to be limited, given the ongoing TGA crackdown. <hr /> Read the other articles in The Conversation’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/ozempic-132745">Ozempic series</a> here.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224859/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-pace-1401278">Jessica Pace</a>, Associate Lecturer, Sydney Pharmacy School, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-bartlett-849104">Andrew Bartlett</a>, Associate Lecturer Pharmacy Practice, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nial-wheate-96839">Nial Wheate</a>, Associate Professor of the School of Pharmacy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/ozempic-isnt-approved-for-weight-loss-in-australia-so-how-are-people-accessing-it-224859">original article</a>.

Body

The BMI isn’t all its cracked up to be

The obsession people have with weight is nothing new. But as the relationship between science and weight evolves, health professionals are increasingly advocating for a shift away from one of the most often used tools as an individual measure of health. <div class="copy"> The Body Mass Index – or BMI – has been used for the past half century as a standard measurement tool for weight and obesity. It’s calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres. This produces a figure which is indexed on a spectrum of weight ranges. A BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight, above 25 is overweight, and above 30 is obese. The latest episode of Debunks, a new podcast from Cosmos, investigates how useful the BMI actually is for assessing health. Health advocacy bodies, health insurers and government departments all make reference to the BMI as being a globally recognised standard for weight classification. Most – but not all – <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/bmi-overweight-obese-healthy-deaths/">acknowledge that the tool is imperfect</a>. Its <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/body-and-mind/body-mass-index-miscalculation/">simple arithmetic</a> is based on a system devised by 19th-century Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet, who was an early pioneer of the social sciences and the use of data to understand human trends. The so-called ‘Quetelet Index’ was first described in 1832 as a means of trying to identify a calculation for the average man, first by conducting cross-sectional studies of infants and then adults. The need to consider weight as an indicator for health, mortality and morbidity, saw scientists trial several measurements before settling on Quetelet’s formula and rebranding it as the BMI in 1972. The problem? The BMI was largely based on studies of Anglo-Saxon populations. This is one of the biggest limitations often recognised by health groups. The Australian Department of Health, for instance, notes that a healthy BMI range is generally lower for people of Asian backgrounds, and higher for those of Polynesian backgrounds. But ethnicity isn’t the only limiting factor. Age and pregnancy status also play a part. Even athletes with more lean muscle (which weighs more than fat) might also find the standard BMI doesn’t capture their health status accurately. Diets and lifestyles have also shifted from the 19th century Belgian standard, and even from those of 50 years ago. Health professionals have long supported a shift away from the BMI being used as a rolled gold indicator of individual health, and medical professionals are beginning to take a wider view of patient health. “There has been a recent change in the position from the [US] National Academies of Nutrition and Dietetics surrounding BMI and there are shifts in the guidelines around BMI for medical diagnosis,” Dr Emma Beckett, a molecular nutritionist at the University of Newcastle, tells Debunks. The same goes for other measurements like waist-to-hip ratios and waist circumference. These metrics are often used by researchers conducting large population studies, but they don’t necessarily explain a person’s ‘health picture’. “Because we measure them in so many of our research studies, people mistakenly believe they are the most important markers of health and it’s just not true. Health is so much more complicated,” Beckett says. “The ‘normal’ [BMI] category is the one with the lowest health risks, but it doesn’t mean being in that category means you have no health risks and it doesn’t mean if you just get yourself into that category and change nothing else, there are no health risks.” On the latest series of Debunks, a podcast from Cosmos and 9Podcasts, find out how weight – and measurements like the BMI – are much more complicated than they might seem. <iframe title="Weight: Should you care about your BMI?" src="https://omny.fm/shows/debunks/weight-should-you-care-about-your-bmi/embed" width="100%" height="180" frameborder="0"></iframe> <div>Image credits: Shutterstock</div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; padding-top: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px;"><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/body-and-mind/the-bmi-isnt-all-its-cracked-up-to-be/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="null">Cosmos</a>. </div> </div>

Body

The move to a cashless society isn’t just a possibility, it’s well underway

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/angel-zhong-1204643">Angel Zhong</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> When was the last time you used cash? For many Australians using cash or even swiping a card has become a rare event. The move towards a cashless society started 50 years ago with the introduction of the Bankcard and was driven by technological advancements. But it really took off with the COVID pandemic when consumers and retailers were reluctant to handle potentially infected notes and coins. The federal government last week underscored its recognition of this trend by <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/jim-chalmers-2022/media-releases/modernising-payments-regulation">unveiling reforms</a> to regulate digital payment providers. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said: "As payments increasingly become digital, our payments system needs to remain fit for purpose so that it delivers for consumers and small businesses. We want to make sure the shift to digital payments occurs in a way that promotes greater competition, innovation and productivity across our entire economy." From big cities to remote rural corners the shift towards digital payments is evident. This raises the question, is a cashless society inevitable? <h2>The phenomenal growth of the digital payments</h2> The convenience of digital transactions has become irresistible for consumers and businesses and has led to the sector eclipsing traditional payment methods. The relentless march of technology has produced myriad innovative platforms from mobile wallets to buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) schemes, each vying for a piece of this burgeoning market. A recent <a href="https://www.ausbanking.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Bank-On-It-%E2%80%93-Customer-Trends-2023-1.pdf">report</a> by the Australian Banking Association paints a vivid picture of the digital payment industry’s explosive expansion. The use of digital wallet payments on smartphones and watches has soared from $746 million in 2018 to over $93 billion in 2022. Cash only accounts for 13% of consumer payments in Australia as of the end of 2022, a stark contrast to 70% in 2007. Digital wallets are popular with most age groups. Young Australians aged between 18 and 29 are leading the pack, with two thirds <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2023/jun/consumer-payment-behaviour-in-australia.html">using digital wallets</a> to pay for goods and services. About <a href="https://www.ausbanking.org.au/almost-40-leave-wallets-at-home/">40% of Australians</a> are comfortable leaving home without their actual wallets or even credit or debit cards, as long as they have their mobile devices with digital wallets. The astonishing speed at which Australians have embraced digital payments places the country among the top users of cashless payments globally, surpassing the United States and European countries. Digital wallets are not the only players in this space. The use of BNPL products is also growing rapidly in Australia, which was where many of the large-scale products in this category started. The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) reports the total value of all BNPL transactions increased by <a href="https://asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/find-a-document/reports/rep-672-buy-now-pay-later-an-industry-update/">79% in the 2018–19 financial year</a>. This continues into 2022 with an annual growth beyond 30% according to the <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/annual-reports/psb/2022/the-evolving-retail-payments-landscape.html">Reserve Bank of Australia</a> (RBA). PayID and PayPal payments are also claiming their shares in this space. <h2>Are government regulations necessary?</h2> The government’s planned regulation of the system, contained in amendments to the Reforms to the Payment Systems (Regulation) Act 1998, is a big step towards establishing a secure and trustworthy cashless society in Australia. It will subject BNPL and digital wallet service providers like Apple Pay and Google Pay to the same oversight by the RBA as traditional credit and debit cards. The regulations will require providers meet clear standards for security measures, data protection and dispute resolution to give Australians confidence their funds and personal information are safeguarded. With increasing concern over cyber attacks, the regulations will help reduce the risk of fraudulent activities and money laundering and help identify suspicious transactions, maintaining the integrity of the financial system. Also, regulation will promote fair competition and market stability by levelling the playing field and by preventing monopolies. While banks support the forthcoming regulation, new market players are less positive. For example, Apple Pay says it is merely <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/financial-services/new-rba-powers-to-regulate-apple-google-payments-20231010-p5eb6d">providing technical architecture</a> rather than payment services. The current regulatory debate is not new. When credit cards made their debut in Australia in the early 1970s, there were hardly any safeguards for consumers. This led to card users being hit with high interest rates on money owed, sneaky fees and aggressive marketing tactics. Consequently, regulations were introduced to hold card providers to a standard of responsible behaviour. Today, they must openly disclose interest rates, fees and charges, and follow stringent guidelines in advertising their products and services. Regulating digital wallet providers strikes a crucial balance between innovation and accountability, ensuring life-changing technology continues to serve the public interest. The shift towards a cashless society in Australia isn’t just a possibility, it’s already well underway. The blend of technological advancements, changing consumer preferences and regulatory adaptations has set the stage for this transformation. The new regulations will help Australians navigate this transition more confidently.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215446/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/angel-zhong-1204643">Angel Zhong</a>, Associate Professor of Finance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-move-to-a-cashless-society-isnt-just-a-possibility-its-well-underway-215446">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

The rental housing crisis is hurting our most vulnerable and demands a range of solutions (but capping rents isn’t one of them)

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-beer-111469">Andrew Beer</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-baker-172081">Emma Baker</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119">University of Adelaide</a> Roughly <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/housing-occupancy-and-costs/2019-20">one in three Australians</a> rent their homes. It’s Australia’s fastest-growing tenure, but renting is increasingly unaffordable. From 2020 to 2022, our <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4253168">research</a> found a large increase in the proportion of renters who said their housing was unaffordable. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=217&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=217&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=217&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=273&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=273&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=273&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="horizontal bar chart showing changes in Australian renters' assessments of affordability form 2020 to 2022" /></a><figcaption>Change in Australian renters’ assessments of affordability from 2020 to 2022. Baker, Daniel, Beer, et al, forthcoming, The Australian Housing Conditions Dataset, doi:10.26193/SLCU9J, ADA Dataverse</figcaption></figure> Australians are concerned about the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/05/rents-rise-again-across-australia-with-sydney-seeing-fastest-rise-in-20-years">pace</a> of <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/how-much-has-rent-increased-around-australia/8ljlnf0zm">rent rises</a>. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/national-cabinet-meeting">says</a> increasing housing supply and affordability is the “key priority” for tomorrow’s national cabinet meeting. The crisis has impacts well beyond affordability. The rental sector is where the worst housing accommodates the poorest Australians with the worst health. <h2>The unhealthy state of rental housing</h2> Forthcoming data from the <a href="https://dataverse.ada.edu.au/dataverse/ahcdi">Australian Housing Conditions Dataset</a> highlight some of these parallel challenges: <ul> <li> it’s often insecure – the average lease is less than 12 months, and less than a third of formal rental agreements extend beyond 12 months </li> <li> rental housing quality is often very poor – 45% of renters rate the condition of their dwelling as “average, poor, or very poor” </li> <li> poor housing conditions put the health of renters at risk – 43% report problems with damp or mould, and 35% have difficulty keeping their homes warm in winter or cool in summer </li> <li> compounding these health risks, people with poorer health are over-represented in the rental sector. Renters are almost twice as likely as mortgage holders to have poorer general health. </li> </ul> Measures that potentially restrict the supply of lower-cost rental housing – such as rent caps – will <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4253168">worsen these impacts</a>. More households will be left searching in a shrinking pool of affordable housing. <h2>It’s all about supply</h2> Fixing the rental crisis needs more than a single focus on private rental housing. The movement between households over time between renting and buying homes means the best solutions are those that boost the supply of affordable housing generally. No one policy can provide all the answers. Governments should be looking at multiple actions, including: <ul> <li> requiring local councils to adopt affordable housing strategies as well as mandating <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/analysis/brief/understanding-inclusionary-zoning">inclusionary zoning</a>, which requires developments to include a proportion of affordable homes </li> <li> improving land supply through better forecasting at the national, state and local levels </li> <li> giving housing and planning ministers the power to deliver affordable housing targets by providing support for demonstration projects, subsidised land to social housing providers and access to surplus land </li> <li> boosting the recruitment and retention of skilled construction workers from both domestic and international sources. </li> </ul> <h2>The biggest landlord subsidy isn’t helping</h2> More than <a href="https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/taxation-statistics-2020-21/resource/ebbd32e3-4556-41e1-a8b9-33387457d518">1 million Australians</a> claim a net rent loss (negative gearing) each year. Even though negative gearing is focused on rental investment losses, it is not strictly a housing policy as it applies to many types of investment. The impact of negative gearing on the housing system is untargeted and largely uncontrolled. As a result, it’s driving outcomes that are sometimes at odds with the need to supply well-located affordable housing. The most impactful action the Australian government could take to deliver more affordable rental housing nationwide would involve refining negative-gearing arrangements to boost the supply of low-income rentals. These measures may involve <ul> <li>limiting negative gearing to dwellings less than ten years old</li> <li>introducing a low-income tax credit scheme similar to the one in the United States.</li> </ul> We can learn much from the US, where the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (<a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/lihtc.html">LIHTC</a>) scheme subsidises the acquisition, construction and renovation of affordable rental housing for tenants on low to moderate incomes. Since the mid-1990s, the program has supported the construction or renovation of about 110,000 affordable rental units each year. That adds up to over <a href="https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/what-low-income-housing-tax-credit-and-how-does-it-work">2 million units</a> at an estimated annual cost of US$9billion (A$13.8billion). This scheme is much less expensive per unit of affordable housing delivered than Australia’s system of negative gearing. Closer to home, the previous National Rental Affordability Scheme showed the value of targeted financial incentives in encouraging affordable housing. This scheme, available to private and disproved investors, generated positive outcomes for tenants. The benefits included better health for low-income tenants who were able to moved into quality new housing. A <a href="https://cityfutures.ada.unsw.edu.au/documents/81/Next_moves_report.pdf">raft</a> of <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/260431">evaluations</a> have <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/267">demonstrated</a> the achievements of this scheme. <h2>Crisis calls for lasting solutions</h2> Short-term measures such as rent caps or eviction bans will not provide a solution in the near future or even the medium or long term. Instead, these are likely to worsen both the housing costs and health of low-income tenants. Reform focused on ongoing needs is called for. Solutions that can be implemented quickly include the tighter targeting of negative gearing and the introduction of a low-income housing tax credit. Talking about change, as the national cabinet is doing, will begin that process of transformation, but it must be backed up by a range of measures to boost the supply of affordable housing. This, in turn, will improve the housing market overall as affordable options become more widely available.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211275/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-beer-111469">Andrew Beer</a>, Executive Dean, UniSA Business, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-baker-172081">Emma Baker</a>, Professor of Housing Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119">University of Adelaide</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-rental-housing-crisis-is-hurting-our-most-vulnerable-and-demands-a-range-of-solutions-but-capping-rents-isnt-one-of-them-211275">original article</a>.

Real Estate

Private health insurance is set for a shake-up. But asking people to pay more for policies they don’t want isn’t the answer

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuting-zhang-1144393">Yuting Zhang</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nathan-kettlewell-903866">Nathan Kettlewell</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a> Private health insurance is <a href="https://consultations.health.gov.au/medical-benefits-division/consultation-on-phi-studies/">under review</a>, with proposals to overhaul everything from rebates to tax penalty rules. One <a href="https://consultations.health.gov.au/medical-benefits-division/consultation-on-phi-studies/supporting_documents/Finity%20Consulting%20MLS%20and%20PHI%20Rebate%20Final%20Report.pdf">proposal</a> is for higher-income earners who don’t have private health insurance to pay a larger <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Medicare-and-private-health-insurance/Medicare-levy-surcharge/">Medicare Levy Surcharge</a> – an increase from 1.25% or 1.5%, to 2%. And if they want to avoid that surcharge, they’d need to take out higher-level hospital cover than currently required. Encouraging more people to take up private health insurance like this might seem a good way to take pressure off the public hospital system. But <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/publications/working-papers/search/result?paper=4682822">our research</a> shows these proposals may not achieve this. These may also be especially punitive for people with little to gain from buying private health insurance, such as younger people and those living in regional areas who do not have access to private hospitals. <h2>What is the Medicare Levy Surcharge?</h2> The Medicare Levy Surcharge was <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/FlagPost/2013/May/A_short_history_of_increases_to_the_Medicare_levy#:%7E:text=From%20July%201997%2C%20a%20surcharge,ancillary%20insurance%20cover%20was%20introduced">introduced in 1997</a> to encourage high-income earners to buy health insurance. People earning above the relevant thresholds need to buy “complying” health insurance, or pay the levy. This surcharge is in addition to the <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Medicare-and-private-health-insurance/Medicare-levy/">Medicare levy</a>, which applies to most taxpayers. The surcharge varies depending on your income bracket, and the rate is <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Medicare-and-private-health-insurance/Medicare-levy-surcharge/Medicare-levy-surcharge-income,-thresholds-and-rates/">different</a> for families. For instance, to avoid paying the surcharge currently, a single person living in Victoria earning A$108,001 can buy basic hospital cover. The lowest annual premium for someone under 65 is <a href="https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/dynamic/Search/">about $1,100</a>, after rebates. That varies slightly between states and territories. Not buying private health insurance and paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge instead would cost even more, at $1,350 (1.25% of $108,001). <h2>What is being proposed?</h2> The <a href="https://consultations.health.gov.au/medical-benefits-division/consultation-on-phi-studies/">report</a>, by Finity Consulting and commissioned by the federal health department, reviews a range of health insurance incentives. It recommends increasing the Medicare Levy Surcharge to 2% for those with an income above $108,001 for singles, and $216,001 for families. The definition of a “complying” private health insurance policy would also change. Rather than having basic hospital cover as is required now, someone would need to buy <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/private-health-insurance-reforms-gold-silver-bronze-basic-product-tiers-campaign-fact-sheet?language=en">silver or gold</a> cover to avoid the surcharge. Under the proposed changes, people who pay the 2% surcharge would also no longer receive any rebate, which currently reduces premiums by <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Medicare-and-private-health-insurance/Private-health-insurance-rebate/Income-thresholds-and-rates-for-the-private-health-insurance-rebate/#Rebaterates1">about 8%</a> for people earning $108,001-$144,000. So, for a single person under 65, earning $108,001 and living in Victoria, the <a href="https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/dynamic/Search/">annual cost of buying</a> complying hospital cover would be at least $1,904 (without the rebate). Again, that varies slightly between states and territories. But the cost of not insuring and paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge instead would go up to $2,160 (2% of $108,001). <h2>Is this a good idea?</h2> However, <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/publications/working-papers/search/result?paper=4682822">our research</a>, out earlier this year, suggests increasing the Medicare Levy Surcharge will not meaningfully increase take-up of private health insurance. We’ve shown that people do not respond as strongly to the surcharge as theory would predict. For example, when the surcharge kicks in, we found the probability of insuring only increases modestly from about 70% to 73% for singles, and about 90% to 91% for families. It is generally cheaper to buy private health insurance than to pay the surcharge. However, we found about 15% of single people with an income of $108,001 or above don’t insure despite it being cheaper than paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge. We don’t know precisely why. Maybe people are not sure of the financial benefit due to changes in their income, or if they are, cannot be bothered, or do not have time, to explore their options. Maybe, as <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AusFinance/comments/x2909w/does_anyone_else_willingly_pay_the_medicare/">anecdotal reports suggest</a>, rather than buying private health insurance, some people would rather support the public system by paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge. The point is, people who are not buying private health insurance appear to be highly resistant to financial incentives. So stronger penalties might have little effect. Instead, we propose the Medicare Levy Surcharge be better targeted to true high-income earners. We can do that by increasing income thresholds for the surcharge to kick in, which are then indexed annually to reflect changes in earnings. <h2>How about needing more expensive cover?</h2> Requiring people to choose silver level cover or above would address criticisms about people buying “<a href="https://theconversation.com/getting-rid-of-junk-health-insurance-policies-is-just-tinkering-at-the-margins-of-a-much-bigger-issue-82749">junk</a>” private health insurance they never intend to use. However, people may be buying this type of product because private health insurance has little value to them. Requiring them to spend even more on a product they don’t want is a roundabout way of taking pressure off the public system. So we propose keeping the current level of hospital cover required to avoid the surcharge, rather than increasing it. <h2>Who loses?</h2> Taken together, the cost of these proposed changes would disproportionately fall on people with little to gain from private health insurance. These include younger people, those living in regional areas who do not have access to private hospitals, or those who prefer to support the public system directly. These groups are the least likely to use private insurance so have the least to gain from upgrading their cover. <h2>Where to next?</h2> The report also recommends keeping <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Medicare-and-private-health-insurance/Private-health-insurance-rebate/">health insurance rebates</a> (a government contribution to your premiums), the <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Medicare-and-private-health-insurance/Private-health-insurance-rebate/Lifetime-health-cover/">Lifetime Health Cover</a> loading (to encourage people to take out hospital cover while younger), as well as the Medicare Levy Surcharge. We also support keeping these three in the short to medium term. But we recommend gradually reducing public support for private health insurance. We believe the ultimate goal of reforming private health insurance is to optimise the overall efficiency of the health-care system (both public and private systems) and improve population health while saving taxpayers’ money. The goal should not be merely increasing the take-up of private health insurance, which is the focus of the current report. So, as well as our recommendation to better target the Medicare Levy Surcharge, we need to: <ul> <li> lower income thresholds for <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-private-health-insurance-rebate-has-cost-taxpayers-100-billion-and-only-benefits-some-should-we-scrap-it-181264">insurance rebates</a>, especially targeting those on genuinely low incomes. This means lower premiums only for the people who can least afford private health care </li> <li> remove rebates <a href="https://theconversation.com/private-health-insurance-premiums-should-be-based-on-age-and-health-status-122545">based on age</a> as higher rebates for older people <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13504851.2017.1299094?journalCode=rael20">do not</a> encourage more to insure. Rebates should be tied to just income, which is a better indicator of financial means.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210981/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> </li> </ul> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuting-zhang-1144393">Yuting Zhang</a>, Professor of Health Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nathan-kettlewell-903866">Nathan Kettlewell</a>, Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Economics Discipline Group, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/private-health-insurance-is-set-for-a-shake-up-but-asking-people-to-pay-more-for-policies-they-dont-want-isnt-the-answer-210981">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

Tourists flock to the Mediterranean as if the climate crisis isn’t happening. This year’s heat and fire will force change

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susanne-becken-90437">Susanne Becken</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/johanna-loehr-1457342">Johanna Loehr</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Thousands of people on the beach. Children reportedly falling off evacuation boats. Panic. People fleeing with the clothes on their backs. It felt like “the end of the world”, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/23/british-tourists-tell-of-nightmare-in-rhodes-fires-greece">one tourist</a>. The fires sweeping through the Greek islands of Rhodes and Corfu are showing us favourite holiday destinations are no longer safe as climate change intensifies. For decades, tourists have flocked to the Mediterranean for the northern summer. Australians, Scandinavians, Brits, Russians all arrive seeking warmer weather. After COVID, many of us have been keen to travel once again. But this year, the intense heatwaves have claimed <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/world/heatwave-pictures-wildfires-worsen-greece-italy-spain-europe-us-2488556">hundreds of lives</a> in Spain alone. Major tourist drawcards such as the Acropolis in Athens have been closed. Climate scientists are “stunned by the ferocity” of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/25/northern-hemisphere-heatwaves-europe-greece-italy-wildfires-extreme-weather-climate-experts">heat</a>. This year is likely to force a rethink for tourists and for tourism operators. Expect to see more trips taken during shoulder seasons, avoiding the increasingly intense July to August summer. And expect temperate countries to become more popular tourist destinations. Warm-weather tourist destinations will have to radically change. <h2>What will climate change do to mass tourism?</h2> Weather is a major factor in tourism. In Europe and North America, people tend to go from northern countries to southern regions. Chinese tourists, like Australians, often head to Southeast Asian beaches. In Europe, the north-south flow is almost hardwired. When Australians go overseas, they often choose Mediterranean summers. Over the last decade, hotter summers haven’t been a dealbreaker. But this year is likely to drive change. You can already see that in the growing popularity of shoulder seasons (June or September) in the traditional Northern Hemisphere summer destinations. Many of us are shifting how we think about hot weather holidays from something we seek to something we fear. This comes on top of consumer shifts such as those related to sustainability and <a href="https://theconversation.com/flight-shaming-how-to-spread-the-campaign-that-made-swedes-give-up-flying-for-good-133842">flight shame</a>. What about disaster tourism? While thrillseekers <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/22/death-valley-tourism-extreme-weather-california">may be flocking</a> to Death Valley to experience temperatures over 50℃, it’s hard to imagine this type of tourism going mainstream. What we’re more likely to see is more people seeking “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09669582.2016.1213849?journalCode=rsus20">last-chance</a>” experiences, with tourists flocking to highly vulnerable sites such as the Great Barrier Reef. Of course, this type of tourism isn’t sustainable long-term. <h2>What does this mean for countries reliant on tourism?</h2> The crisis in Rhodes shows us the perils of the just-in-time model of tourism, where you bring in tourists and everything they need –food, water, wine – as they need it. The system is geared to efficiency. But that means there’s little space for contingencies. Rhodes wasn’t able to easily evacuate 19,000 tourists. This approach will have to change to a just-in-case approach, as in other <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/willyshih/2022/01/30/from-just-in-time-to-just-in-case-is-excess-and-obsolete-next/?sh=195cd054daf7">supply chains</a>. For <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0261517712002063">emergency services</a>, tourists pose a particular challenge. Locals have a better understanding than tourists of risks and escape routes. Plus tourists don’t speak the language. That makes them much harder to help compared to locals. Climate change poses immense challenges in other ways, too. Pacific atoll nations like Kiribati or Tuvalu <a href="https://www.pacificpsdi.org/assets/Uploads/PSDI-TourismSnapshot-TUV3.pdf">would love</a> more tourists to visit. The problem there is water. Sourcing enough water for locals is getting harder. And tourists use a lot of water – drinking it, showering in it, swimming in it. Careful planning will be required to ensure local carrying capacities are not exceeded by tourism. So does this spell the end of mass tourism? Not entirely. But it will certainly accelerate the trend in countries like Spain away from mass tourism, or “overtourism”. In super-popular tourist destinations like Spain’s Balearic Islands, there’s been an increasing pushback from locals against <a href="https://theconversation.com/were-in-the-era-of-overtourism-but-there-is-a-more-sustainable-way-forward-108906">overtourism</a> in favour of specialised tourism with smaller numbers spread out over the year. Is this year a wake-up call? Yes. The intensifying climate crisis means many of us are now more focused on what we can do to stave off the worst of it by, say, avoiding flights. The pressure for change is growing too. Delta Airlines is being sued over its announcement to go carbon neutral by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/30/delta-air-lines-lawsuit-carbon-neutrality-aoe">using offsets</a>, for instance. <h2>Mountains not beaches: future tourism may look a lot different</h2> You can already see efforts to adapt to the changes in many countries. In Italy, for instance, domestic mountain tourism is <a href="https://www.euromontana.org/en/neve-diversa-how-mountain-tourism-can-adapt-to-climate-change/">growing</a>, enticing people from hot and humid Milan and Rome up where the air is cooler – even if the snow is disappearing. China, which doesn’t do things by halves, is investing in mountain resorts. The goal here is to offer cooler alternatives like northern China’s <a href="https://english.news.cn/20230714/9ae6f89a6b7b433ebde3ec689b87f6db/c.html">Jilin province</a> to beach holidays for sweltering residents of megacities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Some mountainous countries are unlikely to seize the opportunity because they don’t want to draw more tourists. Norway is considering a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2022/12/03/norway-to-consider-introducing-tourist-tax-from-2024/?sh=710871eb1b27">tourist tax</a>. Forward-thinking countries will be better prepared. But there are limits to preparation and adaptation. Mediterranean summer holidays will be less and less appealing, as the region is a <a href="https://www.unep.org/unepmap/resources/factsheets/climate-change">heating hotspot</a>, warming 20% faster than the world average. Italy and Spain are still <a href="https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/severe-drought-western-mediterranean-faces-low-river-flows-and-crop-yields-earlier-ever-2023-06-13_en">in the grip</a> of a record-breaking drought, threatening food and water supplies. The future of tourism is going to be very different. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210282/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susanne-becken-90437">Susanne Becken</a>, Professor of Sustainable Tourism, Griffith Institute for Tourism, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/johanna-loehr-1457342">Johanna Loehr</a>, , <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/tourists-flock-to-the-mediterranean-as-if-the-climate-crisis-isnt-happening-this-years-heat-and-fire-will-force-change-210282">original article</a>.

International Travel

Why isn’t Australian music charting on the ARIA charts?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/timothy-mckenry-287534">Timothy McKenry</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a> The excitement generated by the 2023 Eurovision contest was palpable. Members of my family, like thousands of Australians, were awake at 5am on a Sunday to cheer on Australia’s Eurovision contenders, Perth band Voyager. Their song <a href="https://youtu.be/aqtu2GspT80">Promise</a> was the eighth Australian entry since we first competed in 2015. Seven of these entries have made the finals. The <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/sweden-wins-australia-ninth-in-thrilling-eurovision-final-showdown-20230512-p5d7v9.html">media coverage</a> and public engagement with Eurovision demonstrates how intensely interested we are in the international success of our musicians. However, <a href="https://www.aria.com.au/industry/news/australian-music-celebrates-four-years-of-growth">recent comments</a> made by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) CEO, Annabelle Herd, reveal a jarring discrepancy between our support for Australian musicians at Eurovision and our actual listening and spending habits. Even though we spent $609.6 million on recorded music in 2022 through direct sales and streaming, a 16-year high and more than $40 million higher than 2021, we tend to neglect the music of Australians in favour of overseas artists. Herd stated: "the lack of a single Australian album in the ARIA Albums Chart last week alone proves the need to develop an urgent strategy […] to ensure that the growing number of Australian music lovers can connect with Australian artists." Though Kate Ceberano’s My Life is a Symphony has just this week entered the chart at number six, ARIA’s <a href="https://www.aria.com.au/charts/albums-chart/2023-05-22">top 50 album chart</a> demonstrates our preoccupation with the likes of huge non-Australian artists such as Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Harry Styles and others. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aqtu2GspT80?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Cultural cringe</h2> Non-Indigenous Australians <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Currency-Companion-Music-Dance-Australia/dp/0958121311">have a history</a> of importing or “<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/23512424.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A4272009b6d90aea4b0c2ee111916cc83&ab_segments=&origin=&initiator=&acceptTC=1">transplanting</a>” their musical culture. From <a href="https://www.nla.gov.au/collections/guide-selected-collections/williamson-collection#:%7E:text=In%201904%20Williamson%20entered%20a,Tait%20was%20the%20general%20manager">Italian opera in the 1890s</a> to the <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/853189">Beatles in the 1960s</a> to Taylor Swift in the 2020s (who currently has eight albums in our top 50), our predilection for imported music is inarguable. While there’s nothing wrong with cosmopolitan taste, and we should note ARIA does track the sales of Australian artists through <a href="https://www.aria.com.au/charts/">dedicated charts</a>, we must interrogate the patterns of music consumption that reveal a tendency to neglect our homegrown musicians. The term “cultural cringe”, coined by AA Philips in his <a href="https://meanjin.com.au/essays/the-cultural-cringe-by-a-a-phillips/">seminal Meanjin article</a> of 1950, describes a “disease of the Australian mind” that assumes “domestic cultural product will be worse than the imported article”. For much of the 20th century, overseas training or overseas acclaim was a pre-requisite for domestic acceptance of Australian artists, musicians and writers. Pianist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Percy-Aldridge-Grainger">Percy Grainger</a>, considered an archetypal Australian musician, lived and worked in America for much of his life and is often remembered as an American composer. The experience of creatives like Germaine Greer, <a href="https://www.classical-music.com/features/articles/7-notable-masters-of-the-queens-kings-music/">Malcolm Williamson</a> and Clive James needing to leave our shores to pursue a career in the arts is echoed in the story of a millennial singer like <a href="https://themusic.com.au/features/australian-artists-finding-success-overseas-part-one-vassy/HEsEDjEwMzI/23-11-22">Vassy</a>. In a 2022 interview, Vassy describes the frustrations that led her to leave Australia to pursue opportunities in America. She describes her then-record label as not being committed to Australian performers unless they evoked a specific type of “Australiana”. “So it was either you look that part and you be that Australian thing that they want or they just push American acts, like, A-list acts.” Is it possible that our love of Eurovision, and our collective desire for the international acclaim that would accompany a win, has its roots in the cultural cringe? That we’d cheer our musicians overseas, but inadequately support them at home, generates a vicious cycle that prevents Australian music thriving as it should. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/twyPPjEyd7o?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Pirates and streaming</h2> There may be other reasons apart from our awkward cultural history that account for the underrepresentation of Australian music on the ARIA charts. Two decades ago, digital disruption in the form of filesharing sites like Napster <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Ripped/Greg-Kot/9781416547310">broke the business model</a> of the recording industry. While streaming subscriptions and the resurgence of vinyl now <a href="https://www.aria.com.au/industry/news/australian-music-celebrates-four-years-of-growth">underpin sales of recorded music</a>, the effects of disruption continue to be felt. ARIA, for example, only began to <a href="https://www.aria.com.au/aria-charts-code-of-practice">include streaming</a> in its charts from 2014, with current arrangements updated as recently as March 2022 to include official content streams by logged-in YouTube users in the charts. While the ARIA charts tell us a great deal about music consumption in Australia, they, like any survey, are not perfect. Musicians who independently release their music and monetise their work in non-traditional ways, such as via a following on social media, direct support through a platform like <a href="https://www.patreon.com/c/music">Patreon</a> or through merchandise sales, are less likely to have their output recognised in the ARIA charts. Likewise, a consumer’s use of a VPN to access music via a streaming service in an international jurisdiction may render the economic activity that results impossible to track. <h2>Quotas and solutions</h2> The other significant impact of the changing digital landscape is the blunting of long-standing policies designed to support Australian music making. For example, the <a href="https://www.cbaa.org.au/resource/codes-practice-%E2%80%93-code-5-australian-music">CBAA Code of Practice</a> requires most community radio stations to broadcast at least 25% Australian content. This requirement has over many decades fuelled a need for Australian music. Streaming services have no equivalent requirement and, as audiences increasingly migrate to these new platforms, this imperative for new Australian music wanes. The federal government has sought to <a href="https://www.arts.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/national-culturalpolicy-8february2023.pdf">address some of these challenges</a> via its National Cultural Policy, titled Revive. It plans to introduce legislation later this year. Australia’s music industry will likely welcome this intervention, particularly if it builds capacity and creates opportunities for Australian musicians to thrive in Australia. Such policy interventions are not without hazard: <a href="https://www.jmro.org.au/index.php/mca2/article/view/84/32">my research reveals</a> that when government uses cultural policy as a political tool it distorts and ultimately stifles creative practice. Listening to musicians, addressing their needs (such as navigating the eligibility requirements for inclusion in the ARIA charts) and helping connect them to Australian audiences are key. In the meantime, we should all listen to some new Australian music. Let’s make our <a href="https://www.mso.com.au/performance/2023-kate-ceberano">Kate and the MSO</a> number one!<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206088/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/timothy-mckenry-287534">Timothy McKenry</a>, Professor of Music, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-isnt-australian-music-charting-on-the-aria-charts-206088">original article</a>.

Music

The Voice isn’t apartheid or a veto over parliament – this misinformation is undermining democratic debate

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dominic-osullivan-12535">Dominic O'Sullivan</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a> Readers please be advised this article discusses racism. We’ve heard many different arguments for and against the Voice to Parliament in the lead-up to this year’s referendum. This has included some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a5MgbXj9kI">media</a> and <a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/voice-to-parliament/pauline-hanson-claims-indigenous-voice-is-australias-version-of-apartheid-in-speech-aimed-at-lidia-thorpe-and-albanese/news-story/2d988413c54d81ba0cb9c55f19d9cffa">politicians</a> drawing comparisons between the Voice and <a href="https://au.int/en/auhrm-project-focus-area-apartheid">South Africa’s apartheid regime</a>. Cory Bernardi, a Sky News commentator, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/may/02/liberals-accused-of-flirting-with-far-right-fringe-after-sky-news-show-where-indigenous-voice-compared-to-apartheid">argued</a>, for instance, that by implementing the Voice, “we’re effectively announcing an apartheid-type state, where some citizens have more legal rights or more rights in general than others”. As legal scholar Bede Harris has <a href="https://news.csu.edu.au/opinion/the-voice-to-parliament,-apartheid-and-cory-bernardi">pointed out</a>, it’s quite clear Bernardi doesn’t understand apartheid. He said, <blockquote> How the Voice could be described as creating such a system is unfathomable. </blockquote> <h2>Comparisons to apartheid</h2> Apartheid was a system of racial segregation implemented by the South African government to control and restrict the lives of the non-white populations, and to stop them from voting. During apartheid, non-white people could not freely visit the same beaches, live in the same neighbourhoods, attend the same schools or queue in the same lines as white people. My wife recalls her white parents being questioned by police after visiting the home of a Black colleague. The proposed Voice will ensure First Nations peoples have their views heard by parliament. It won’t have the power to stop people swimming at the same beaches or living, studying or shopping together. It won’t stop interracial marriages as the apartheid regime did. It doesn’t give anybody extra political rights. It simply provides First Nations people, who have previously had no say in developing the country’s system of government, with an opportunity to participate in a way that many say is meaningful and respectful. Apartheid and the Voice are polar opposites. The Voice is a path towards democratic participation, while apartheid eliminated any opportunity for this. Evoking emotional responses, like Bernardi attempted to do, can <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1618923114">inspire people</a> to quickly align with a political cause that moderation and reason might not encourage. This means opinions may be formed from <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsos.180593">limited understanding</a> and misinformation. <h2>Misinformation doesn’t stop at apartheid comparisons</h2> The Institute of Public Affairs, a conservative lobby group, has published a “research” paper claiming the Voice would be like New Zealand’s Waitangi Tribunal and be able to veto decisions of the parliament. The <a href="https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/voice-comparisons-with-nz-tribunal-are-just-wrong/">truth</a> is the tribunal is not a “Maori Voice to Parliament”. It can’t <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-14/fact-check-checkmate-maori-voice-waitangi-tribunal/102217998">veto</a> parliament. The Waitangi Tribunal is a permanent commission of inquiry. It is chaired by a judge and has Maori and non-Maori membership. Its job is to investigate alleged breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. The tribunal’s task is an independent search for truth. When it upholds a claim, its recommended remedies become the subject of political negotiation between government and claimants. The Voice in Australia would make representations to parliament. This is also not a veto. A veto is to stop parliament making a law. <h2>We need to raise the quality of debate</h2> Unlike the apartheid and Waitangi arguments, many <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-a-lot-of-first-nations-peoples-debates-around-the-voice-to-parliament-are-not-about-a-simple-yes-or-no-199766">objections</a> to the Voice are grounded in fact. Making representations to parliament and the government is a standard and necessary democratic practice. There are already many ways of doing this, but in the judgement of the First Nations’ people who developed the Voice proposal, a constitutionally enshrined Voice would be a better way of making these representations. Many people disagree with this judgement. The <a href="https://nationals.org.au/the-nationals-oppose-a-voice-to-parliament/">National Party</a> argues a Voice won’t actually improve people’s lives. Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe says she speaks for a Black Sovereignty movement when she advocates for a treaty to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-31/lidia-thorpe-wants-treaty-and-seats-not-voice-qa/101909286">come first</a>. The argument is that without a treaty, the system of government isn’t morally legitimate. Other people support the Voice in principle but think it will have <a href="https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/voice-to-parliament-yes-vote-has-many-enemies,17190">too much</a> power; <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-australia-could-learn-from-new-zealand-about-indigenous-representation-201761">others</a> think it won’t have enough. Thinking about honest differences of opinion helps us to understand and critique a proposal for what it is, rather than what it is not. Our vote then stands a better chance of reflecting what we really think. Lies can mask people’s real reasons for holding a particular point of view. When people’s true reasons can’t be scrutinised and tested, it prevents an honest exchange of ideas. Collective wisdom can’t emerge, and the final decision doesn’t demonstrate each voter’s full reflection on other perspectives. Altering the Constitution is very serious, and deliberately difficult to do. Whatever the referendum’s outcome, confidence in our collective judgement is more likely when truth and reason inform our debate. In my recently published book, <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-99-0581-2">Indigeneity, Culture and the UN Sustainable Development Goals</a>, I argue the Voice could contribute to a more just and democratic system of government through ensuring decision-making is informed by what First Nations’ people want and why. Informed, also, by deep knowledge of what works and why. People may agree or disagree. But one thing is clear: deliberate misinformation doesn’t make a counter argument. It diminishes democracy.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205474/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dominic-osullivan-12535">Dominic O'Sullivan</a>, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-voice-isnt-apartheid-or-a-veto-over-parliament-this-misinformation-is-undermining-democratic-debate-205474">original article</a>.

Legal

“It isn’t a good move": Woolies under fire over massive change to popular service

Woolworths supermarket has caused a stir after implementing a major change to a popular shopping service. Woolies has dramatically increased the minimum spend for online shoppers who are using their Direct to Boot shopping service. Earlier this month, the retail giant upped its minimum spend from $30 to $50, which is a 66 per cent climb. The free service allows customers to shop online and collect it from their local Woolworths without having to leave their car. “We bring your groceries to you. We’ll pick it, pack it, and pop it in your boot for free,” Woolworths says. The increase in minimum spend is not sitting well with the public, with one shopper arguing that it is a disadvantage to vulnerable customers. “Increasing the minimum spend on click and collect/direct to boot orders is only going to make shopping harder on pensioners and people with disabilities who will now either be forced to buy items they don’t need or can’t afford, or made to physically shop for themselves when they might struggle,” one customer said. “It also makes it more frustrating for single person households when they don’t need to buy bigger amounts at a time.” “It isn’t a good move, and I hope you reconsider and look to go back to putting customers first.” “I’m not sure how this improves the way I shop or allows anyone to ‘enjoy greater convenience’ though. It actually reduces convenience.” The customer added. A Woolworths spokesperson defended the minimum spend increase, telling <a href="http://7news.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7NEWS</a>, “Our free direct to boot services and pick up has remained unchanged for a number of years,” “Earlier this month, the minimum spend was increased by $30 to $50.” “We’re continuing to let customers know about this change through our stores and online.” A Facebook user also came to the supermarket’s defence, saying that Woolies shouldn’t have to “lose money” because of the service. “It costs them to have someone pick your order and deliver it to your boot,” the user said. “It also means no impulse purchases in the store so they aren’t making any extra that way. Why should they lose money by delivering things to your boot?” Image credit: Getty

Food & Wine

What is – and what isn’t – ‘brain fog’?

The COVID pandemic has introduced many scientific and medical terms into our everyday language. Many of us are now fluent in conversations about viral strains, PCR tests and mortality rates. “Brain fog” has joined these ranks to describe a now-familiar symptom of COVID and long COVID. But what exactly is brain fog, and is it limited to COVID? It is what it sounds like Brain fog is not a medical diagnosis, but rather the description patients tend to use for their symptoms. Brain fog is what doctors refer to as “cognitive dysfunction”. This describes problems with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4084861/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">closely linked tasks</a> such as concentration, information processing, memory, thinking and reasoning, and making sense of language. Brain fog is exactly what it sounds like: a feeling something like being shrouded by a thick fog, not quite able to grasp ideas, feeling confused or disoriented, and having trouble concentrating or recalling memories. Sufferers <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00299-6/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">describe experiences</a> with brain fog as lapses in memory and concentration, with <a href="https://medika.life/the-complete-a-to-z-of-long-haul-covid-symptoms-what-you-need-to-know/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some saying</a> they “put food on the gas stove and walked away for over an hour, only noticing when they were burning”. Other people say they “forget how to do normal routines like running a meeting at work”. Brain fog can make even simple tasks like grocery shopping very difficult: navigating the car park, remembering a list of items to buy, switching attention between products and prices, and reading ingredients can be confusing, overwhelming and exhausting. Brain fog can be unpleasant in the short term, but over time can make it difficult to work and maintain social activities. Brain fog can also take a toll on relationships, and change the way we see ourselves <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e056366.abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">personally and professionally</a>. One recent study asked people with long COVID about their experiences <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e056366.abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with brain fog</a>. They reported feeling guilt and shame, especially about how brain fog had affected their ability to return to work and their relationships. While the symptoms of brain fog can be similar to those experienced by people with Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions associated with older age, brain fog can affect people of any age. Brain fog doesn’t usually worsen over time, and may not last forever. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> "the most commonly reported symptoms included breathlessness, palpitations, chest pain and 'brain fog,' or reduced mental acuity" <a href="https://t.co/wx1E0MzaRG">https://t.co/wx1E0MzaRG</a> — Garance Franke-Ruta (@thegarance) <a href="https://twitter.com/thegarance/status/1580583732968161280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2022</a></blockquote> Linked to COVID Brain fog was one of the most common symptoms to emerge in the <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00299-6/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first months</a> of the COVID pandemic. Recent reports suggest <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35121209/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20-30%</a> of people have brain fog three months after infection. <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00299-6/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Up to 85%</a> of people with long COVID also have brain fog. Although we’re hearing a lot about brain fog in relation to COVID, people experience the symptom with many other diseases and disorders. Scientists aren’t sure whether the same biological processes underpin brain fog in different illnesses; however, brain fog is common among people recovering from <a href="https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/92/4/407" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traumatic brain injury</a>, experiencing <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5388340/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">persistent post-concussion symptoms</a>, with <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-04764-w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29623059/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fibromyalgia</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6406482/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HIV</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4161607/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">postural tachycardia syndrome</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8217391/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lupus</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29945190/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome</a>, and as a side-effect of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15384101.2017.1334022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chemotherapy</a>. People with <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jgh.13706" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coeliac disease</a> may even experience brain fog after consuming gluten. It’s also been reported as a symptom of <a href="https://theconversation.com/brain-fog-during-menopause-is-real-it-can-disrupt-womens-work-and-spark-dementia-fears-173150#:%7E:text=What%20kind%20of%20foggy%20thinking,with%20concentrating%20or%20making%20decisions." target="_blank" rel="noopener">menopause</a>. What causes it? While COVID may cause <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04569-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shrinkage of some brain areas</a>, brain fog itself has not been linked to brain volume changes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e056366.abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scans</a>. However, a new case report of two people found that while they had normal clinical MRI findings, they also had <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-021-10655-x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decreases in oxygen use</a> in a specific part of the brain called the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537077/#:%7E:text=The%20cingulate%20cortex%20is%20a,part%20of%20the%20limbic%20system." target="_blank" rel="noopener">cingulate cortex</a>. This area, within the <a href="https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/limbic-system#:%7E:text=The%20limbic%20system%20is%20the,and%20fight%20or%20flight%20responses." target="_blank" rel="noopener">limbic system</a>, is thought to be involved in attention and memory. There isn’t one single test for brain fog, so it can be difficult to diagnose. Although there are combinations of tests that can be used, formal testing may not always be helpful because symptoms can look different for each person, and some days may be worse than others. How do you know if you have it? Traditional <a href="https://www.webmd.com/brain/what-is-a-cognitive-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assessments</a> can test a person’s executive function and cognitive status. But findings have been mixed in people with brain fog due to COVID. Some studies have found more problems with attention and executive function in people who have <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2021.699582/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had COVID</a>. Cognitive deficits linked to brain fog have also been reported as worse for those with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258953702200147X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more severe COVID infection</a>. But other researchers have found standard cognitive screening tests don’t show good specificity for brain fog (that is, they might not detect the absence of the condition and produce false negatives) and may not determine the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163834322000962#s0010" target="_blank" rel="noopener">severity of brain fog</a>. A new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666379122002993?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> suggested conflicting findings in studies on brain fog might be due to the brain functions assessed by different tests. People with both mild and more severe cases of COVID might experience problems with processing speed, reasoning, verbal and overall performance, but no problems with memory. So studies that use tests for memory are less likely to show the effects of brain fog, no matter the severity. Outside of scientific studies, brain fog diagnosis is most likely to be based on the symptoms and experiences people report once other causes, such as not sleeping enough, stress or hormonal changes, have been ruled out. If you think you may be experiencing brain fog, it would be worthwhile to note down your symptoms and track them over several weeks, alongside any changes in stress, diet or sleep. This information can help your doctor understand your symptoms and help you manage them. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Researchers chasing long COVID cures are eager to learn whether naltrexone, a generic drug typically used to treat alcohol and opioid addiction, can offer benefits to millions suffering from pain, fatigue and brain fog months after a coronavirus infection <a href="https://t.co/fXiU6IbScH">https://t.co/fXiU6IbScH</a> — Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1582326898797211648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2022</a></blockquote> How to manage For people experiencing brain fog, developing coping strategies and prioritising time to rest may help to <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/2/e056366.abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">manage symptoms</a>. Coping strategies could involve making lists, using visual reminders (such as calendars, digital alerts and timers), and altering work duties where possible. Clinical trials are underway for <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/addiction-drug-shows-promise-lifting-long-covid-brain-fog-fatigue-2022-10-18/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">naltrexone</a>, a medication used for alcohol and opioid drug addition, which has shown promise in reducing brain fog. While not currently available as a brain fog treatment in Australia, initial <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354622000758" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> in Ireland shows it is safe and effective in low doses. Aside from getting enough sleep, people are often encouraged to approach recovery from brain fog holistically. This means looking at their entire health picture and prioritising exercise and a healthy diet. If you are concerned about brain fog, your GP can refer you to a neurologist or neuropsychologist for further assessment and management. Writen by Sarah Hellewell. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-and-what-isnt-brain-fog-190537" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Getty Images<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190537/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />

Mind

Incredible teenage boy cracks coded coin in hours, but he isn’t the first

Within hours of its release to the general public, a 14-year-old boy had cracked the codes hidden on <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/coins-covered-in-coded-clues-will-test-your-spy-skills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a coin released by an Australian intelligence agency</a> - but some had solved them days earlier, due to an unusual legal rule. A 50-cent coin celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) was released last Thursday containing four levels of codes with hidden messages. But, the puzzles were already being discussed online ten days earlier, with some codes already being solved by August 20. This was due to requirements on the Australian Government to include the characters featured on the coin in legislation, available online, before the coin was made available to purchase on September 1. As well as a celebration of the agency’s history, it’s hoped the coin will act as a kind of recruitment drive and attempt to raise the profile of the ASD among the general public, with the agency planning to recruit another 1,900 people over the next decade as part of a $9.9 billion expansion. Dr Richard Bean, a research fellow at the University of Queensland who solved the coin’s puzzles within two hours of getting his hands on it, said the move was about attracting those interested in a career with the ASD. "The kind of people who would sit down and solve this kind of code on the coin, they're the kind of people the ASD wants to attract — innovative thinkers to solve difficult problems in cryptography in both an offensive and defensive sense," Dr Bean said. "So solving other nation's codes and protecting Australian government communications security. "It's about attracting the right candidates and putting the ASD in their mind, instead of having to go out in traditional recruitment channels." But let’s go back to our teenage whiz kid. Though the Tasmanian boy’s identity hasn’t been revealed, it’s clear he has talent and instinct according to Distinguished Professor Willy Susilo, who also directs the Institute of Cybersecurity and Cryptology at the University of Wollongong. “[What] is very important is actually not about whether you can crack the code or not, [what] is important is the thinking behind it, how to solve this kind of puzzle,” he told the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-05/how-to-solve-spy-australian-signals-directorate-50-cent-coin/101405266" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a>. “To me, I think to get a person who, especially in this case, is 14 years old, can crack the code within just one or two hours is actually incredible in my opinion. "That really is the kind of skill needed in the Australian Signals Directorate." Image: ASD

Money & Banking

Labelling ‘fake art’ isn’t enough. Australia needs to recognise and protect First Nations cultural and intellectual property

The latest <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/indigenous-arts/draft">draft report</a> from the Productivity Commission on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual arts and crafts confirms what First Nations artists have known for decades: fake art harms culture. Released last week, the report details how two in three Indigenous-style products, souvenirs or digital imagery sold in Australia are fake, with no connection to – or benefit for – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This is a long-standing problem. As Aboriginal Elder Gawirrin Gumana (Yolngu) <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1133887?from=list">explained</a> in 1996, "When that [white] man does that it is like cutting off our skin." The Productivity Commission has proposed all inauthentic Indigenous art should be labelled as such. But we think a much bolder conversation needs to happen around protecting the cultural and intellectual property of Indigenous artists. Australia has no national licensing or production guidelines to protect Indigenous cultural and intellectual property within commercial design and digital spaces. Our work hopes to see this change. <h2>‘This is storytelling’</h2> <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/318268">Our research</a> focuses on supporting and representing First Nations artists within design and commercial spaces, understanding how to ensure cultural safety and appropriate payment and combat exploitation. Many First Nations artists we spoke to told us stories of exploitative business models. They were blindly led into licensing agreements and client relations that were not culturally safe. Clients thought commissioning a design equated to “owning” the copyright to First Nations art, culture and knowledge. Gudanji/Wakaja artist and winner of the 2022 NAIDOC poster competition <a href="https://nardurna.com/">Ryhia Dank</a> told us, "We need clear recognition, structures and licensing guidelines to protect all of what First Nations ‘art’ represents. I know a lot of us, as we are starting out don’t know how to licence our work […]" "One of my first designs was for a fabric company and I didn’t licence the design correctly, so that company is still using my design and I only once charged them $350 and that was it. Having legal support from the start is critical." Arrernte and Anmatyerre graphic novelist <a href="https://www.stickmobstudio.com.au/">Declan Miller</a> explained how many clients and businesses are misguided in thinking commissioning a design equates to owning the copyright to First Nations knowledges. “Our art is not just art,” he said. "Clients need to be aware this is storytelling. This is culture. We will always own that. But we are happy for clients to work with us, and use our art and pay us for it, but we have to keep that integrity. This is our story, this is where we are from, this is who we are and you can’t buy that or take that from us." <h2>Protecting property</h2> Transparent labelling of inauthentic art is a great start, but there is more work needed. Intellectual property laws and processes should adequately protect First Nations art. “Indigenous cultural and intellectual property” refers to the rights First Nations people have – and want to have – to protect their traditional arts, heritage and culture. This can include communally owned cultural practices, traditional knowledge and resources and knowledge systems developed by First Nations people as part of their First Nations identity. First Nations products should be supplied by a First Nations business that protects Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, with direct benefits to First Nations communities. The outcomes of our research have resulted in the recent launch of <a href="https://solidlines.agency/">Solid Lines</a> – Australia’s only First Nations illustration agency to be led by First Nations people. An integral part of this agency is the Indigenous cultural and intellectual property policy designed specifically for the design and commercial art industry. The agency hopes this policy, created with <a href="http://marrawahlaw.com.au/">Marrawah Law</a>, will help create and support culturally safe and supportive pathways for First Nations creatives. For First Nations artists represented by Solid Lines, our policy also means obtaining culturally appropriate approval to use family or community stories, and knowledges and symbols that are communally owned. <h2>Recognition and protection</h2> The report from the Productivity commission focuses on fake art coming in from overseas, but fake art also happens in our own backyard. In our research, we have spoken to Elders, traditional custodians, and community leaders who are concerned that Western and Central Desert designs, symbols and iconography are now used by other First Nations across Australia. This work often undermines customary laws and limits economic benefits flowing back to communities. Community designs, symbols and iconography are part of a cultural connection to a specific land or country of First Nations people. Embracing Indigenous cultural and intellectual property policies will mean designs, symbols and iconography can only be used by the communities they belong to. The Productivity Commission calculated the value of authentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts, crafts, and designs sold in Australia in 2019-2020 at A$250 million. This will only continue to grow as Australia’s design and commercial industries continue to draw upon the oldest continuing culture in the world. Visible recognition and protection of First Nations cultural and intellectual property will allow for new creative voices to respectfully and safely emerge within Australian art and design industries. Through embracing guidelines around Indigenous cultural and intellectual property, First Nations artists will be supported in cultural safety, appropriate payment and combat exploitation. This is the next step beyond labelling inauthentic art. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/labelling-fake-art-isnt-enough-australia-needs-to-recognise-and-protect-first-nations-cultural-and-intellectual-property-187426" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

Poverty isn’t a temporary experience in Australia. We need urgent policy tackling persistent disadvantage

We often hear a job is the best way to get someone out of poverty. In many cases this is true, and anti-poverty strategies should prioritise improving people’s access to jobs. But this isn’t the complete solution. For many – particularly those with disability or substantial caring responsibilities that limit their scope to work – the income support system remains crucial to avoiding persistent poverty. It may not feel like it at a time of rising living costs, but the incomes of Australians have on average risen substantially over the last three decades and continue to trend upwards – we have never been richer. However – <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/supporting/deep-persistent-disadvantage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as highlighted by the Productivity Commission</a> – some in the community continue to be left behind. Our new <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/4107629/Breaking-Down-Barriers-Report-4-May-2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study of income poverty</a> shows persistent poverty remains a significant problem in Australian society. Looking back over the first two decades of this century, we found around 13% of the population are persistently poor. We defined these as people who persistently have to live on incomes that are <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Glossary:At-risk-of-poverty_rate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less than 60% of</a> the median income in Australia (a definition employed by Eurostat for European Union member countries). Poverty then isn’t simply a temporary experience in Australia, and tackling persistent disadvantage needs to be a policy imperative. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/461194/original/file-20220504-21-epehk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/461194/original/file-20220504-21-epehk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/461194/original/file-20220504-21-epehk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461194/original/file-20220504-21-epehk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461194/original/file-20220504-21-epehk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461194/original/file-20220504-21-epehk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461194/original/file-20220504-21-epehk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461194/original/file-20220504-21-epehk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Poverty isn’t simply a temporary experience in Australia. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> Why do people descend in poverty – and often stay there? Understanding what drives poverty and its persistence is an essential first step to alleviating it. Using data from the longitudinal Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (<a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/hilda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HILDA</a>) Survey, we examined the extent and nature of persistent poverty among the same sample of Australians tracked over time. Specifically, we looked at <ul> <li>why do people descend into poverty?</li> <li>why do some people remain in poverty, while others escape it?</li> <li>why some of those who escape poverty remain out of poverty while others fall back into it.</li> </ul> We also examined the degree to which the depth of poverty (how far someone’s income is below the poverty line) impacts on the likelihood of staying in poverty. We found persistent poverty is more prevalent among: <ul> <li>women</li> <li>single-parent families</li> <li>older people</li> <li>Indigenous Australians</li> <li>people with a disability</li> <li>less-educated people, and</li> <li>people living in more disadvantaged regions.</li> </ul> This is consistent with <a href="https://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/poverty-in-australia-2020-overview-html-version/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previous studies of poverty</a> made at a single point in time. Perhaps unsurprisingly, those in deep poverty – the poorest of the poor – are the most likely to be persistently poor (up to five times more likely than the average person in the community). The very poor are therefore a policy priority – not only because they are very poor now, but because they are more likely to remain poor. ‘Falling’ into poverty Similarly, among those initially not in poverty, those with incomes closest to the poverty line – the poorest of the non-poor – are at greater risk of falling into persistent poverty. Another policy priority therefore needs to be preventing those close to the poverty line falling into actual poverty. When we examined the “trigger events” for people falling into poverty or rising out of it, we found the household’s success in the labour market is critical. In other words, people need to be able to get a job. An increase in the number of employed people in the household is strongly associated with lifting people out of poverty. There is also a strong association between a lack of work and the risk of persistent poverty. Clearly, then, policy measures geared towards increasing employment, and retaining employment for those already employed, are key to reducing persistent poverty. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/461457/original/file-20220505-24-cgvjbn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/461457/original/file-20220505-24-cgvjbn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/461457/original/file-20220505-24-cgvjbn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461457/original/file-20220505-24-cgvjbn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461457/original/file-20220505-24-cgvjbn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461457/original/file-20220505-24-cgvjbn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461457/original/file-20220505-24-cgvjbn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461457/original/file-20220505-24-cgvjbn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Another policy priority needs to be preventing those close to the poverty line falling into actual poverty. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> It’s not just about jobs, though But employment isn’t the only factor of importance. Any change in family type, but particularly becoming a single-parent family, increases the risk of poverty. More broadly, the household context plays a crucial role in determining individuals’ poverty experiences. Who you live with, what they do, and what happens to them are important. The household perspective then is critical to understanding poverty and designing appropriate policy responses. The onset of disability or substantial caring responsibilities is also much more likely to tip you into poverty and keep you there. Put simply, those who are more likely to experience persistent poverty tend to be constrained in their ability to participate in the labour market. Having a job may not be an option at all. Focusing only on labour market-related anti-poverty policy measures therefore isn’t enough to fully address persistent poverty in the Australian community. Many of those highly exposed to persistent poverty have very constrained access to paid work, because of factors such as: <ul> <li>long-term health conditions</li> <li>high caring responsibilities for young children or</li> <li>significant disabilities.</li> </ul> Even among couple-parent households, we found the more dependent children in the household, the lower the probability of exiting poverty. This highlights the importance of child care assistance to facilitate employment participation and sustained income adequacy for families with young children. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/461458/original/file-20220505-26-km89qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/461458/original/file-20220505-26-km89qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/461458/original/file-20220505-26-km89qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461458/original/file-20220505-26-km89qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461458/original/file-20220505-26-km89qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461458/original/file-20220505-26-km89qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461458/original/file-20220505-26-km89qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461458/original/file-20220505-26-km89qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Many of those highly exposed to persistent poverty have very constrained access to paid work, because of factors such as long-term health conditions. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> An unavoidable conclusion But even improvements in child care assistance aren’t enough. The simple fact is that, for a significant number of people, income support will continue to determine their living standards. The unavoidable conclusion is that boosting income support payments beyond their current austere levels remains a crucial pillar of policy for governments genuinely committed to reducing persistent disadvantage. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be on the agenda of either of the major parties.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/181343/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/esperanza-vera-toscano-788145" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Esperanza Vera-Toscano</a>, Senior research fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/roger-wilkins-95906" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roger Wilkins</a>, Professorial Fellow and Deputy Director (Research), HILDA Survey, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The University of Melbourne</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/poverty-isnt-a-temporary-experience-in-australia-we-need-urgent-policy-tackling-persistent-disadvantage-181343" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Legal

Superannuation isn't a retirement income system

Discussions about Australia’s retirement income system typically begin by reciting the political slogan that there are “three pillars” to the system — the age pension, compulsory super, and voluntary savings. It was the way the Abbott and Turnbull government’s <a href="https://slideplayer.com/slide/4872297/">tax inquiry</a> looked at retirement incomes, and a frame of reference used by this government’s <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-11/c2019-36292-v2.pdf">retirement income system review</a>. Missing is discussion of what makes something a “retirement pillar”. Requiring retailers to <a href="https://www.fresheconomicthinking.com/2020/01/the-easiest-retirement-system-retiree.html">provide the elderly free goods and services</a>, with the cost absorbed in the prices paid by others could be another. To be a pillar, something would have to allocate goods and services in retirement to people who are no longer earning wages. In my <a href="https://www.fresheconomicthinking.com/p/scrap-superannuation.html">recently released report</a> I argue that superannuation fails this test. <h2>Super isn’t a retirement pillar</h2> Among other things, super can be spent many years before retirement, beginning anywhere from age <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Super/Self-managed-super-funds/Paying-benefits/Preservation-of-super/">55 to 60</a>, even though the retirement age specified the pension legislation is <a href="https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/age-pension/who-can-get-it">66 to 67</a>. Many financial planners advise intending retirees to spend a lot of their super quickly in order to shelter it in income-test-exempt assets <a href="https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/finance/property/how-upsizing-protects-your-pension">such as housing</a> and qualify for the pension. The super system also can’t guarantee retirement incomes for people who are self-employed, casually employed, homemakers, have chosen their super fund unwisely or lost the proceeds in things such as online romance scams. As a system, super comes with unnecessary financial risks, such as suddenly losing 21% of its funds, as happened between September 2007 and March 2009 during the global financial crisis. It is better thought of as a growth-sapping, resource-wasting, tax-advantaged asset purchase scheme aimed at the already wealthy, which is <a href="https://theconversation.com/myth-busted-boosting-super-would-cost-the-budget-more-than-it-saved-on-age-pensions-119002">unlikely to do much</a> to reduce reliance on the age pension. We would be better off abandoning it and letting workers spend or save their money as they see fit. <h2>The super system is inefficient</h2> The superannuation system employs <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6291.0.55.003">55,000 people</a> at a cost of <a href="https://www.selectingsuper.com.au/superannuation-fees-fall-for-the-first-time-in-six-years">A$32 billion</a> per year to produce <a href="https://www.apra.gov.au/quarterly-superannuation-statistics">$40 billion</a> per year in retirement incomes. This is nearly as many people as the enlisted Australian Defence Force (58,000) with a similar total cost ($34 billion). The rest of Australia’s entire welfare system, including administering the age pension, disability, unemployment benefits and Medicare, costs just $6 billion per year and employs <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018/10/8802-1810-annual-report-web-2017-2018.pdf">33,000 people</a>, while providing <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018/10/8802-1810-annual-report-web-2017-2018.pdf">$45 billion</a> in pension benefits. <h2>It directs money where it isn’t needed..</h2> Each year the superannuation system takes in <a href="https://www.apra.gov.au/quarterly-superannuation-statistics">$117 billion</a> and spits out <a href="https://www.apra.gov.au/sites/default/files/Quarterly%20Superannuation%20Performance%20Statistics%20September%202019_0.pdf">$80 billion</a> in payments (including lump sum withdrawals), leaving $38 billion in asset markets, sapping spending and economic growth. That’s roughly as much as the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/saving-the-nation-20090203-7wsb.html">$40 billion</a> stimulus package introduced during the 2009 financial crisis. Unlike it, the super system depresses rather than stimulates the economy. Unlike the super system, the age pension system is likely to stimulate the economy because it takes purchasing power away from high-income taxpayers with a relatively low likelihood of spending extra dollars to to lower-income pensioners with a high likelihood of spending them. <h2>…and away from those who do need it</h2> Unlike the age pension system, the super system can’t provide poverty relief, or broadly adequate retirement incomes. For the bottom 40% of earners it does the opposite of smoothing income, making them poorer than they would have been while working, and somewhat <a href="https://theconversation.com/super-shock-more-compulsory-super-would-make-middle-australia-poorer-not-richer-120002">richer</a> than they would have been while on the pension and retired. The <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/publication/p2020-51153">$18 billion</a> of tax breaks on super fund contributions and <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/publication/p2020-51153">$20 billion</a> of tax breaks on super fund earnings are predominately directed to <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/programs-and-initiatives-superannuation/distributional-analysis-of-superannuation-taxation-concessions">high income earners</a>. In a comprehensive study released this week the Grattan Institute has demolished the claim that super contributions come out of employers pockets. Instead it finds that, on average, <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/no-free-lunch/">80%</a> of each super contribution comes out of what would have been wages. <h2>Here’s how to escape it</h2> Scrapping the system altogether would massively improve Australia’s economic performance, including the performance of our only true retirement income system, which is the age pension. It can be done by forcing employers to pay what are now super contributions directly into wage accounts and allowing super fund holders to withdraw up to a maximum amount each year during a transition period, after which all super balances would receive no special tax treatment. The tens of billions saved in the budget could be used to enhance the size and scope of the age pension. It could incorporate <a href="https://theconversation.com/fall-in-ageing-australians-home-ownership-rates-looms-as-seismic-shock-for-housing-policy-120651">appropriate rent assistance</a> and begin at age 60 instead of 67. It’s possible. Certainly, there would be job losses, but in other industries we have come to accept that there is no point in continuing to pay people to do things that aren’t needed, and especially no point in making those payments compulsory. It’d be one of the best things we could do to enhance the working of our economy. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/superannuation-isnt-a-retirement-income-system-we-should-scrap-it-130191">The Conversation</a>. Image: Getty

Retirement Income

Fame and fortune isn't the key to happiness

If you’ve ever dreamt of fame and fortune, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle turning their backs on the royal lifestyle might seem churlish. So too their desire to be “financially independent”. As a senior royal, Harry is at the height of his popularity – a popularity that marrying Markle has only amplified. On top of the millions he has inherited from his mother and great grandmother, he gets millions more annually, both from his cut of the “sovereign grant” paid by the British government and the allowance from his father (from the revenues of Duchy of Cornwall estate). Harry and Meghan aren’t exiting the family firm penniless, but if they stayed they would be looked after in luxury for the rest of their lives. Madness? No. Research suggests Harry and Meghan would be well and truly in their right minds to be sick of royal fame and fortune. Psychologists, economists and philosophers have confirmed three things. First, money can’t buy happiness. Second, we want to feel we have earned our success and popularity. Third, being looked after from the cradle to the grave has its downsides. In short, having everything handed to you on a platter just isn’t satisfying. Money doesn’t buy happiness Even though this statement is arguably a cliché, there is good <a href="https://www.payscale.com/career-news/2013/05/study-proves-money-cant-buy-happiness">evidence</a> it’s true. While money buys happiness up to a point, the positive effects of money on happiness <a href="https://psychology.unl.edu/can-money-buy-happiness">level off</a> once individuals have obtained enough wealth to live a comfortable life. This relationship has been observed at the country level, with multiple studies showing that, once a nation reaches a certain level of wealth, national happiness does not increase in parallel with extra wealth. This is known as the <a href="https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/50-years-of-esrc/50-achievements/the-easterlin-paradox/">Easterlin paradox</a>. According to economist John Helliwell, a co-editor of the <a href="https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2019/changing-world-happiness/">World Happiness Report</a>, the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8364900_The_Social_Context_of_Well-Being">social context</a> – marriage and family, ties to friends and neighbours, workplace ties, civic engagement, trustworthiness and trust – is more important than wealth. <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JjLh0guxERQ"></iframe></div> One reason given for why wealth doesn’t buy individuals any more happiness after a certain point is that money becomes both a reason and means to distance ourselves from others. To paraphrase Christopher Ryan, author of <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Civilized-to-Death/Christopher-Ryan/9781451659108">Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress</a>, what people tend to do with extra money is buy separation, whereas researchers “<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/why-are-rich-people-so-mean/">have concluded again and again</a> that the single most reliable predictor of happiness is feeling embedded in a community”. Extraordinary wealth, then, sets us against what we are programmed to do by evolution: seek out the company of others and band together in a community. Research has repeatedly shown this has a huge mental health cost. <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MB5IX-np5fE"></iframe></div> Importantly, too, how we earn our money affects how much we enjoy it. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29320930">Research</a> among more than 4,000 millionaires in the US, for example, showed those who were “self-made” were moderately happier than those who inherited their wealth. Taken together, these factors help explain why Harry and Meghan’s wealth might, psychologically speaking, be more curse than blessing. The popularity paradox Most of us, particularly teenagers, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cracking-the-popularity-code/">crave popularity</a>. According to <a href="https://yougov.co.uk/ratings/politics/popularity/royalty/all">a YouGov poll</a>, Harry is the second-most-popular member of the British royal family – pipped only by Queen Elizabeth. Some are convinced <a href="https://theconversation.com/prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-why-half-in-half-out-just-isnt-an-option-for-royals-129726">he won’t keep this popularity</a> without his royal status. Why would someone want to give up being liked and loved by stepping out of the limelight? Because <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attribution_(psychology)">psychological research</a> shows people feel less pride in their achievements if they attribute it to external reasons. In this case, that would being born as a royal for Harry, and being pretty and marrying into a royal family for Meghan. For their popularity and success to mean something, they would need some “internal attribution” – that it has something to do with their own abilities, effort and skill. In a world that values meritocracy, as Alain de Botton argues, we need to “own our success” — the very thing Harry and Meghan cannot do as royals. <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MtSE4rglxbY"></iframe></div> Trapped by certainty Most of us aspire to being financially secure for the rest of our lives. Many of us would give a lot to know what lies ahead. But while there is comfort in some sense of security and predictability, knowing exactly what the future holds might be a curse. This is because humans thrive also on feeling a sense of freedom and choice. So just as having no certainty can take its mental toll, so does feeling one’s future is totally predetermined and that you have no real control over the way your life will unfold. Psychologists call the motivation to regain a freedom after it has been lost <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4675534/">reactance</a> – and this might be something strong within someone, for example, who has lost freedom due to marrying into a high-profile family. Seizing control Do the reasons above explain why Harry and Meghan have left the royal fold? We can’t say that. Only they know their motivations. But what we do know is that all the research points to fortune, fame and security not necessarily leading to a good, happy life. These things can in fact be burdens, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0139156">bringing out</a> our worst, not our best. That happiness comes more from community connection, merit, effort and making our own decisions is good news for the rest of us. Let’s hope it works out for Harry and Meghan too.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130132/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jolanda-jetten-301309">Jolanda Jetten</a>, Professor, School of Psychology, ARC Laureate Fellow, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-science-backs-harry-and-meghan-turning-in-their-royal-privilege-fame-and-fortune-arent-the-keys-to-happiness-130132">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

Why desexing dogs isn't always the best thing to do

In pet-loving nations such as Australia, nobody likes the idea of dogs churning out litters in squalid conditions or sitting homeless in a shelter. Responsible dog owners are therefore strongly encouraged to desex their pets, through programs such as <a href="https://ndn.org.au/get-involved/2019-national-desexing-month/">national desexing month</a> and <a href="https://dogshome.com/the-homes-campaigns/if-you-love-them-desex-them">low-cost surgery schemes</a>. In some places in Australia, it is even <a href="https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/is-desexing-mandatory-for-cats-and-dogs/">compulsory</a>. But as we try to limit unwanted dogs, experts estimate there is demand in Australia for nearly <a href="http://ankc.org.au/media/6598/a-forensic-view-of-puppy-breeding-in-australiav4.pdf">half a million new puppies</a> every year. Many desexed family pets are the ideal parents of the next generation of family companions, having demonstrated their ability to fit in with family life. Yet by desexing as early as possible, we are removing the best source of happy healthy pets from the doggy gene pool. We argue there’s room for responsible pet owners and breeders to work together, breeding ideal companion animals and reducing the number of unwanted or unsafe dogs left in shelters. We want happy, loyal pups People want their dogs to suit their family’s needs: tall or short, short-coated or non-shedding, couch potato or running buddy. We have created hundreds of breeds to meet these preferences. However, Australian pet-owners most value dogs that are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159109001555">affectionate, friendly, obedient and safe with children.</a> Such dogs are a combination of nature and nurture. Most temperament traits in dogs, including <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/40101976_Genetic_variation_in_aggression-related_traits_in_Golden_Retriever_dogs">aggression</a>, have a genetic basis. Dogs bred for working roles, such as police work, have physical and behavioural assessments to make sure they can do their jobs well. If we treat being a happy and safe companion as a job, we need to <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ufaw/aw/2010/00000019/a00102s1/art00003">select breeding dogs with the right characteristics to succeed</a>. This begins with carefully selecting parents who also have these traits. Many dogs who would breed perfect family pets are themselves family pets, and owners have years of observation to rely on. A puppy’s early life is also extremely important for creating a suitable pet. Raising them in rich environments, with plenty of affection, <a href="https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/full/10.12968/vetn.2013.4.6.334">equips puppies with important life-skills</a>. For those destined for companionship, this experience includes regular playtime with humans and exposure to life in a modern household. These requirements highlight the need to consider where dogs come from. Professionals, hobbyists or irresponsible owners While we don’t have firm data on where Australians get their pets, we can safely assume there are three main sources: commercial breeders, recreational or hobby breeders, and members of the general public who fail to desex their pet dogs. While new <a href="http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/pets/puppy-farm-legislation">legislation</a> in Victoria targets the worst puppy mills, even the best large-scale commercial operations may struggle to give puppies the attention they need early in life. Meanwhile, recreational breeders, who are often strongly motivated to provide the best upbringing possible, may not select their breeding dogs on the basis of their performance as pets. Instead, they may focus on success in the show ring or pedigree bloodlines, potentially producing very expensive dogs ill-equipped to be great pets. And what of the traditional source of the family dog – pet owners who fail to desex their pets? If high rates of desexing exclude from the gene pool those really wonderful pet dogs owned by “responsible” owners, and only irresponsible owners allow their dogs to breed, the resulting puppies are far less likely to possess the traits so desired by prospective homes. One has only to visit a local shelter to see the unfortunate results of accidental matings among the many wonderful dogs seeking a new home. Thousands of dogs are surrendered in <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/7/7/50">Australia shelters every year</a>. To secure future generations of successful companion dogs, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2019.00241/full">a new approach to breeding is needed</a>. Restricting who can breed, and issuing penalties to those who break the rules, is one strategy that must of course be developed and enforced. All breeders must be educated about careful selection of parents, and suitable early experiences in breeding puppies that will excel as pets. But the final piece in the puzzle should be collaboration between responsible breeders and pet owners in the breeding process.<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" class="license"></a> If more responsible dog owners were encouraged not to desex their dogs at an early age, but to wait until their dogs’ physical and behavioural health has been thoroughly demonstrated, the very best companion dogs could be permitted to contribute their genes to the next generation. This more nuanced approach, where owners and breeders work together to identify dogs of exemplary health and temperament, could enrich the companion dog gene pool and result in happier owners, happier dogs, and emptier shelters. Although not desexing companion dogs does carry risks – from <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-decisions-to-desex-male-dogs-just-got-more-complicated-95520">behavioural issues to unwanted puppies</a> – we believe this is worth considering. Always discuss your concerns with your veterinarian. Not snipping in haste may be a better option than snipping everything.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123013/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-dawson-798660">Jessica Dawson</a>, PhD Student in Anthrozoology, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/pauleen-bennett-12681">Pauleen Bennett</a>, Professor and Head of Department, Psychology and Counselling, College of Science, Health and Engineering, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-mcgreevy-139820">Paul McGreevy</a>, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/let-it-breed-why-desexing-dogs-isnt-always-the-best-thing-to-do-123013">original article</a>.

Family & Pets

Holidaying in a disaster zone isn't as crazy as it seems

Holidaying in a disaster zone might seem crazy, but “volunteer tourism” can actually help communities recover from natural disasters. And if can offer a unique and rewarding experience for volunteers, if done carefully. When disaster hits a tourist destination – whether fire, flood, cyclone or earthquake – tourists usually stay away, leaving communities to deal with a loss of income on top of the costs of repair and recovery. On the other hand, people who feel a natural curiosity, as well as a natural desire to help, are keen for experiences where they can interact with locals and make a difference. This “volunteer tourism” should not be confused with “disaster tourism” in which tourists immediately travel to a scene not to help but to look. Nepal shows what can be done We examined volunteer tourism in Nepal in the wake of the April 2015 earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people and injured nearly 22,000. We found that when it was done in an ethical manner that considered local conditions and the community, it could aid recovery and resilience. It is important that the process be controlled locally and that the invitation from locals be genuine. It is also important that volunteer tourists be prepared to engage in work that mainstream tourists would not. Our study, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738319301598">Engaging volunteer tourism in post-disaster recovery in Nepal</a>, has just been published in the Annals of Tourism Research. In the four months that followed the Nepal earthquake, international tourism more than halved. Initially most relief organisations asked international volunteers not to come unless they had specific expertise, such as medical skills, building skills, or experience responding to emergencies. Then the Pacific Asia Travel Association and Nepalese tourism industry leaders worked together to produce the report of the <a href="http://pata.org.np/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/A-Report-on-PATA-Nepal-Tourism-Rapid-Recovery-Taskforce.pdf">Nepal Rapid Recovery Task Force</a>, running workshops with more than 200 tourism industry leaders and professionals. Volunteer tourism led the way back The strategy they came up with prioritised potential tourism regrowth markets, including volunteer tourism. Nepal relaxed conditions to allow international tourists to volunteer on a wide range of projects including rebuilding homes and schools, interning in hospitals, supporting non-government organisations and reestablishing sustainable agriculture. It helped that Nepal was set up for it. It had already hosted organisations offering short-term travellers the opportunity to teach English and to work on health projects. In 2015 and 2016 it hosted three global celebrities whose widely-publicised visits raised the profile and popular appeal of Nepal, especially to volunteer tourists. In May 2015, Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon visited Nepal and actively promoted volunteer tourism to the North American market. In mid-2015 Hong Kong based actor Jackie Chan visited and encouraged Chinese tourists and volunteers to come to Nepal. In March 2016, Prince Harry (the younger son of Prince Charles) spent two weeks in Nepal engaged in volunteer programs. Nepal’s tourism recovery since then has been remarkable. In 2015, the year of the earthquake, just under 600,000 international tourists visited. By 2018 the number had reached an all time record of almost 1.2 million. In 2019 it grew further. Volunteer tourism drove the recovery. The Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents says almost one third of the tours booked to Nepal in the two years after the earthquake comprised groups who combined tourism experiences with volunteering or philanthropy. It needs to meet local needs In times of national crisis, the priority of a government has to be restoring the welfare of its people. However, the process by which that happens is multifaceted. In destinations that rely on tourism as a primary source of foreign investment, it can make sense to build tourism into the recovery process. A focus on tourism need not detract from other critical processes such as providing health care and emergency services, clearing debris and construction. But that’s easier said than done. Natural disasters by their very nature sow confusion, severely damage infrastructure and impose great strains on emergency management and administration. Volunteer tourism won’t work everywhere, but where conditions are right, international visitors can speed rather than slow recovery.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128841/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-beirman-4852">David Beirman</a>, Senior Lecturer, Tourism, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/simone-faulkner-911263">Simone Faulkner</a>, , <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-wearing-7081">Stephen Wearing</a>, Associate Professor, Management, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/holidaying-in-a-disaster-zone-isnt-as-crazy-as-it-might-seem-128841">original article</a>.

Travel Trouble

The internet's founder wants to "fix the web" but his proposal isn't ideal

On March 12, the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web, the internet’s founder Tim Berners-Lee said we needed to “<a href="https://webfoundation.org/2019/03/web-birthday-30/">fix the web</a>”. The statement attracted considerable interest. However, a resulting manifesto released on Sunday, and dubbed the <a href="https://contractfortheweb.org/">Contract for the Web</a>, is a major disappointment. Endorsed by more than 80 corporations and non-government organisations, the campaign seeks a return to the “<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/04/10/1301496/">open web</a>” of the 1990s and early 2000s – one largely free of corporate control over content. While appealing in theory, the contract glosses over several key challenges. It doesn’t account for the fact that most internet content is now accessed through a small number of digital platforms, such as Google and Facebook. Known as the “<a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/129830/">platformisation of the internet</a>”, it’s this phenomenon which has generated many of the problems the web now faces, and this is where the focus should be. An undercooked proposal Berners-Lee identified major obstacles threatening the future of the web, including the circulation of malicious content, “<a href="https://webfoundation.org/2019/03/web-birthday-30/">perverse incentives</a>” that promote clickbait, and the growing polarisation of online debate. Having played a central role in the web’s development, he promised to use his influence to promote positive digital change. He said the Contract for the Web was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/nov/24/tim-berners-lee-unveils-global-plan-to-save-the-internet">a revolutionary statement</a>. In fact, it’s deeply conservative. Berners-Lee claims it’s the moral responsibility of everybody to “save the web”. This implies the solution involves engaging civic morality and corporate ethics, rather than enacting laws and regulations that make digital platforms more publicly accountable. The contract views governments, not corporations, as the primary threat to an open internet. But governments’ influence is restricted to building digital infrastructure (such as fast broadband), facilitating online access, removing illegal content and maintaining data security. Missing links The contract doesn’t prescribe <a href="https://www.iicom.org/intermedia/intermedia-past-issues/intermedia-jul-2019/taking-aim-at-big-tech">measures</a> to address power misuse by digital platforms, or a solution to the <a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/media-and-communications/assets/documents/research/T3-Report-Tackling-the-Information-Crisis.pdf">power imbalance</a> between such platforms and content creators. This is despite <a href="https://www.iicom.org/intermedia/intermedia-past-issues/intermedia-july-2018/platforms-on-trial">more than 50 public inquiries</a> currently taking place worldwide into the power of digital platforms. The most obvious gaps in the contract are around the obligations of digital platform companies. And while there are welcome commitments to strengthening user privacy and data protection, there’s no mention of how these problems emerged in the first place. It doesn’t consider whether the harvesting of user data to maximise advertising revenue is not the result of “<a href="https://contractfortheweb.org/principles/principle-5-respect-and-protect-peoples-privacy-and-personal-data-to-build-online-trust/">user interfaces and design patterns</a>”, but is instead baked into the <a href="https://www.hiig.de/en/data-colonialism-nick-couldry-digital-society/">business models of digital platform companies</a>. Its proposals are familiar: address the digital divide between rich and poor, improve digital service delivery, improve diversity in hiring practices, pursue human-centered digital design, and so forth. But it neglects to ask whether the internet may now be less open because a small number of conglomerates are dominating the web. There is <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Digital%20Platforms%20Inquiry%20-%20Final%20report%20-%20part%201.pdf">evidence</a> that platforms such as Google and Facebook dominate search and social media respectively, and the digital advertising connected with these. Not a civic responsibility Much of the work in the contract seems to fall onto citizens, who are expected to “<a href="https://contractfortheweb.org/principles/principle-9-fight-for-the-web/">fight for the web</a>”. They bear responsibility for maintaining proper online discourse, protecting vulnerable users, using their privacy settings properly and generating creative content (presumably unpaid and non-unionized). The contract feels like a document from the late 1990s, forged in the spirit of “<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/wired25-louis-rossetto-tech-militant-optimism/">militant optimism</a>” about the internet. It offers only <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/016344387009001005">pseudo-regulation</a> for tech giants. It also implies if tech giants can demonstrate greater diversity in hiring practices, allow users to better manage their privacy settings, and make some investments in disadvantaged communities, then they can avoid serious regulatory consequences. Legacies of internet culture A big question is why leading non-government organisations such as the <a href="https://www.eff.org/">Electronic Frontier Foundation</a> and <a href="https://www.publicknowledge.org/">Public Knowledge</a> have signed-on to such a weak contract. This may be because two elements of the original legacy of internet culture (as it started developing in the 1990s) are still applicable today. One is the view that governments present a greater threat to public interest than corporations. This leads non-governmental organisations to favour legally binding frameworks that restrain the influence of governments, rather than addressing issues of market dominance. The contract doesn’t mention, for instance, whether governments have a role in legislating to ensure digital platforms address issues of online hate speech. This is despite evidence that social media platforms are used to <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmhaff/609/60904.htm#_idTextAnchor005">spread hate, abuse and violent extremism</a>. The second is the tendency to think the internet is a different realm to society at large, so laws that apply to other aspects of the online environment are deemed inappropriate for digital platform companies. An example in Australia is <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/law-should-treat-social-media-companies-as-publishers-attorney-general-20191120-p53cch.html">defamation law not being applied to digital platforms such as Facebook</a>, but being applied to the comments sections of news websites. Berners-Lee’s manifesto for the future of the web is actually more conservative than proposals coming from government regulators, such as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/focus-areas/inquiries-ongoing/digital-platforms-inquiry">Digital Platforms Inquiry</a>. The ACCC is closely evaluating issues arising because of digital platforms, whereas the Contract for the Web looks wistfully back to the open web of the 1990s as a path to the future. It fails to address the changing political economy of the internet, and the rise of digital platforms. And it’s a barrier to meaningfully addressing the problems plaguing today’s web.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127793/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/terry-flew-3944">Terry Flew</a>, Professor of Communication and Creative Industries, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-internets-founder-now-wants-to-fix-the-web-but-his-proposal-misses-the-mark-127793">original article</a>.

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