Geoff Edwards Dr Geoff Edwards B.Sc.(Hons.); M.Pub.Ad.; PhD; GAICD is policy coordinator of The Royal Society of Queensland. This article does not necessarily represent the views of all members of the society.
Prevention or patch-up? Data, information, and knowledge are not ‘wisdom’ May 8, 2024 By Geoff Edwards Editors' Picks The skills that enable somebody to gain preselection, and then sufficient community support for election, are not the same skills required to formulate public policy.
Prevention or patch-up? ‘Staff are our most valuable resource’ – really? April 26, 2024 By Geoff Edwards Editors' Picks Management is better off not using the ‘we value our staff’ phrase in corporate planning documents unless the staff themselves can confirm they are truly valued.
Prevention or patch-up? Prevention needs coordinated powers or it’s just patch-up April 11, 2024 By Geoff Edwards Editors' Picks The capacity to discharge a function, implement a strategy or deliver a service embraces two main elements: coordinating authority and legal power.
Prevention or patch-up? Some preconditions are essential for public policy March 28, 2024 By Geoff Edwards Community & Social Every action in human affairs has consequences. This rather trivial observation has important implications for public policy.
Prevention or patch-up? Public health ‘crises’ have long gestations March 14, 2024 By Geoff Edwards Editors' Picks Public health forums with specialist practitioners and scholars across jurisdictions, disciplines and sectors are desperately needed.
Prevention or patch-up? Linking scientific knowledge with policy to advance human wellbeing February 28, 2024 By Geoff Edwards Editors' Picks A series examining theories of cause-and-effect that can lead to understanding health and education policies that affect well-being.
Premium Insights and analysis Achieving practical results requires knowledge — and four other capacities May 1, 2023 By Geoff Edwards Editors' Picks Government capacities represent a chronic separation between high-minded ideals and the potential for practical implementation of the Voice.
Premium Columnists Jobs and skills: Where are the economic rationalists when you need them? August 31, 2022 By Geoff Edwards Economy & Industry The Jobs Summit seriously needs some rational economists who can apply benefit-cost rationales to demands by noisy interest groups (hello, infrastructure).
Governing gas markets without a scientific lens has been an abject failure July 14, 2022 By Geoff Edwards Editors' Picks The absence year after year of an understanding of the science of energy, from the people elected to govern, is depressing.
Premium Columnists Election 2022: Policies need to stay in their lane April 27, 2022 By Geoff Edwards Editors' Picks A disempowered public service lacks the competence to coordinate between three levels of government and disparate geographic territories.
Premium Insights and analysis Governing in the public interest requires cooperation, not just competition April 13, 2022 By Geoff Edwards Economy & Industry Experience of pro-competitive reforms to vocational education, telecommunications and electricity should give pause to the mission of public sector competition.
Premium Insights and analysis Some plausible scenarios Australian governments may face in, say, 2030 September 3, 2021 By Geoff Edwards Editors' Picks A sample of the potential challenges that lie ahead for Australian governments and policy makers in the light of IPCC 6.
Premium Insights and analysis Governing in the public interest is about to become much harder August 20, 2021 By Geoff Edwards Communications & Technology Here is just a sample of the policy initiatives that a prudent government should take in response to IPCC 6, not ranked in any particular priority, as all are urgent.
Premium Insights and analysis Who shall rescue us from the meddlesome priests of ‘budget discipline’ rhetoric? Budgeting in the public interest post-COVID, part IV April 15, 2021 By Geoff Edwards Economy & Industry The federal budget is diverted from continuous provision of public goods to ad hoc projects. Part IV of Geoff Edwards ‘Budgeting in the public interest post-COVID’.
Premium Insights and analysis Generating jobs and natural capital in regional Australia. Budgeting in the public interest post-COVID, part III April 8, 2021 By Geoff Edwards Economy & Industry Geoff Edwards outlines a few programs to generate employment in rural/regional Australia while restoring natural capital, in part III of ‘Budgeting in the public interest post-COVID’.
