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This paper examines what it means to be an activist and to do activist work in the Australian contemporary university. In a context of globalisation, massification and marketisation, what does academic or scholar activism look like? In a time of political uncertainty about fee deregulation, further cuts to public funding and changes to the income-contingent loans scheme, what does it mean to be an activist or to do activist work? And what happens when activist attention turns to the higher education sector and the operations of the university? This paper examines these broad questions at an intimate level, presenting a reflective narrative of an individual career in academic activism marked by a long-standing scholarly interest in the nature and work of universities, academic and professional roles, teaching experience in multiple disciplines and involvement in union representation. In this paper, the reflections of an individual academic activist, Rosie, are embedded in a contextual discussion of university governance, regulatory and auditing frameworks, the academic workforce, gender inequality, and learning and teaching in higher education in Australia.

When discussing any livelihood, a key consideration is monetary support. This is of particular concern for music livelihoods, as many art music organisations rely on external sources of funding. As both public and private funding levels are influenced by myriad factors and thus often change, this case study has been undertaken to investigate and document the current funding environment for small-to-medium art music organisations in Brisbane. As a result of historical, organisational, physical, and public financial factors, the city of Brisbane has developed a particular cultural milieu which has resulted in a two-tiered musical workforce characterised by the level of support and opportunity available. A defining part of this is that small-to-medium organisations suffer low and fluctuating levels of public funding. These organisations may thus benefit significantly from seeking private support. Philanthropic practices with art music organisations in Australia are little studied, and the use of generalised cultivation strategies may have detrimental effects. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of private funding for the survival of art music organisations, and this lends additional urgency to undertaking research into philanthropy with small-to-medium art music organisations as it is specific to Brisbane.

Since the advent of the "Times Higher Education Supplement World University Rankings" and the "Academic Rankings of World Universities" by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, some Australian universities have become especially concerned with being ranked among the 100 leading universities. The University of Melbourne, Australia's second oldest university, is one such. As part of an agenda to remain one of the world's leading universities, this university instigated major curricular reforms to align its degree structure with that espoused by the Bologna Agreement and consistent with those at North American universities. Aware that successful implementation of such a large-scale reform depended on its acceptance by internal and external communities, the University conducted an extensive press campaign promoting the reforms. This article explores the press reporting of this campaign over a two and a half year period, as the University of Melbourne sought to gain public support and acceptance of the Melbourne Model. (Contains 1 table.)

In Australia the separation of mind, body and spirit by secular society has had a significant influence on educational trends. An outcomes-based approach to education, with an emphasis on cognitive learning, has meant that the affective and spiritual dimensions of students' lives have often been understated. Classroom programs in religious education have been affected by this educational climate where the pendulum has swung in favour of the achievement of cognitive learning outcomes. The cognitive dimension of learning is an integral part of the learning dynamic. However the roles of thinking, feeling and reflecting/intuiting are complementary within this process. Religious education is one curriculum area that can effectively address the interplay between the cognitive, affective and spiritual dimensions of learning. This paper outlines a model explored with pre-service teachers at a publicly funded Catholic university. This model addresses the complementarity of the cognitive, affective and spiritual dimensions of learning. Examples of pre-service teachers' work are drawn upon to demonstrate the interplay of these dimensions and to show how in practice this might be achieved within school curricula. (Contains 1 figure and 1 note.)

An Australian campaign to promote French second-language instruction uses the motto, "Big Bucks with a Little French." The campaign accompanies publication of the book "French in Australia: New Prospects," which seeks to reinforce and diversify the image of French and its use around the world, for business and pleasure. (MSE)

Adult educators respond to fiscal stringency by realigning programs or attempting to maintain the status quo. Adult educators have played a significant role in local economies but this fact is largely unrecognized. They must rethink their rationale, reject outmoded beliefs and patterns, and justify their work through program outcomes. (Author/CH)

Compares government funding of private schools in five countries. Explores the impact of government funding on private schools' autonomy, conflict between sectarian and secular interests, the level of support given to parental school choice, and educational quality versus equality of educational opportunity. 25 references. (SV)

The consequences of Australia's public finance of private education are relevant to United States policy issues: the effect of private school aid on public and private enrollment, the impact of aid on financial support for public schools, the impact of aid on the character of public and private schools. (PB)

Artificial intelligence (Al), including generative Al, has been identified as a profound opportunity for the judicial system due to the efficiency and cost savings it promises. Equally concerns have been raised about "fake law" due to generative Al hallucinating, and "fake evidence" created by malevolent actors. This article argues that the lawyer's compliance with their ethical duties to the court and the administration of justice, as well as duties of independence, competence and supervision, will assist in the effective use of Al and guard against a range of harms, such as Al misleading judges, causing unfairness and undermining public confidence in the judicial system. The lawyer's ethical obligations as a source of protection against the misuse of Al for the court system continue the historical collaboration between the judiciary and the legal profession in the provision of justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic was the most severe global health crisis for a century. Most advanced democracies introduced restrictions on social interaction to reduce community infection. This article examines how public confidence in Australia's federal system of government was affected by these restrictions. We use a longitudinal dataset collected nationally between 2020 and 2022 to evaluate how public confidence in both federal and state governments varied with the level of government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions. The results show that confidence in both levels of government surged in the initial stages of the pandemic and remained high for the first year, gradually declining thereafter. Variations in the level of restrictions had a significant longitudinal association with confidence, with a negative relationship with confidence in state governments and a positive relationship with confidence in the federal government. The public clearly distinguished between the responsibilities of the different levels of government in managing the health crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the question of 'can short messages be effective in increasing public support for a complex new technology (hydrogen)?', this study uses a representative national survey in Australia to analyze the differences and variations in subjective support for hydrogen in response to four differently framed short messages. The findings of this study show that short messages can increase social acceptance, but the effects depend on how strongly the message is framed in terms of its alignment with either an economic or environmental values framework. Furthermore, the effects depend on the social and cultural context of the receiver of the message. • Overall, survey respondents were supportive of hydrogen energy. • Short messages increased social acceptance. • The size of effect depends on content of short message. • Economic benefits and 100% renewable framings have the highest effect. • The effect of the message varies by the respondent characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking one's own life or attempting to do so has long been decriminalised in Australia. Aiding, counselling, or inciting another person to kill him or herself, however, remains a criminal offence. Yet, all six Australian States have now introduced laws allowing assistance in dying under certain circumstances. This article traces the recent history of Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) laws in Australia. It examines the introduction of the world's first assisted dying legislation in the Northern Territory in 1995 followed by the Federal Government's 1997 deprivation of the Territories' power to legislate on assisted dying invalidating said law. It further considers the fifty-seven failed Bills attempting to achieve law reform in this context in Australian jurisdictions between 1993 and 2017 with a view to identifying what factors may have contributed to the continuing lack of success. This article then outlines the rapid introduction of VAD laws in all six Australian States decriminalising VAD over the span of only 5 years. It ponders what may have changed to bring about this law reform. This article closes by contemplating potential future law reform in the Australian Territories, which have been reinstated with jurisdiction to legislate on VAD in December 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the Antarctic region featuring more and more in discourse around anthropogenic climate change, understanding public support for research in the region is increasingly important. We examine public support for Antarctic science in Australia, drawing on findings from a nationally representative survey of just over 1000 adults conducted in 2021-2022. Key results reinforce earlier findings in other national contexts - for example, that older people and men are more likely to support Antarctic scientific research than younger people and women. They also reveal new information, including a correlation between particular sources of media coverage and support for Antarctic research. Our data have implications for where and how the public engagement efforts of government agencies and non-governmental organizations could most usefully be applied. While the survey is focused on Australia, it points to complexities around public support for Antarctic research that could be productively investigated in other national and in international contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between policy compliance, the emergence of alternate epistemes and authorities in online spaces, and the decline of trust and legitimacy in democratic institutions. Drawing on insights from public policy, regulation theory, and political theory, the paper critically engages with scholarship on "policy-takers" to illuminate the tensions of compliance and legitimacy in liberal states. It proposes a compliance--legitimacy matrix that identifies the features of policy compliance--including consent, legitimacy, expertise, and trust--and their relationship to the disaggregation of policy knowledge. The article applies this framework to a case study of social media posts that respond to policy information during the management of the Covid-19 pandemic in Australia. Through analysis of these posts, the study reveals the distrust in "the science" and experts advocated by government and the calls from skeptic groups for noncompliance with public health measures. The paper argues that public policy faces an epistemic crisis of public confidence, with significant downstream consequences for compliance with public policy initiatives that has been brought on both by the failures of states to cultivate trust in science and the government. The compliance--legitimacy matrix offers a useful tool for policymakers to anticipate and address objections from policy-takers and to preempt and diffuse their fears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Australian attitudes towards foreign aid and the intersection of these attitudes with broader debates around the purpose and level of the aid program. Drawing on surveys conducted over six decades, we show that the public broadly supports the principle of foreign aid, but are much less supportive of aid expenditure, especially judged against other areas of government spending. Using the 2022 Lowy Poll, we test four hypotheses to explain public support for foreign aid. The results show that both values and interests shape the public's views of foreign aid spending. The challenge for policymakers is to craft messages about foreign aid which present aid expenditure as being relevant to both the values and interests relevant to the lives of everyday Australians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most successful defence pacts in history, Australia's alliance with America is becoming ever more central to our strategic policy. This is a bipartisan trend that has been supported by previous governments, including in the Morrison government's 2020 Defence Strategic Update, and is being implemented by the Albanese government, as confirmed in its 2023 Defence Strategic Review. At the same time, successive U.S. administrations have refocussed on the Indo-Pacific despite competing strategic priorities in other regions, including the Ukraine war. This has led to Australia and America pursuing a policy of deeper integration of their armed forces at the operational and strategic levels. This is most visible in northern Australia, whose value to Australian and allied defence planning is increasing for geopolitical reasons. Building on the Marine rotational force in Darwin announced in President Obama's pivot to Asia, U.S. force posture initiatives are upgrading northern Australian defence infrastructure and deploying additional forces for exercises and contingency planning at a time when Australia is also investing in its northern bases. While cutting-edge capabilities such as SSN-AUKUS submarines will boost Australia's strategic contribution to the alliance, its strength lies in the solid public support it enjoys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early research has suggested the societal acceptance of hydrogen to decarbonise our energy supply is relatively high. However, the specific aspects of hydrogen that citizens support remain unknown. To investigate public support for export and domestic applications of hydrogen, this study implemented an Australian nationally representative survey. Using a quasi-experimental design, information was provided to respondents as an intervention to test individual responses. The information included a short video, followed by images and text descriptions. The study found the combined information package increased societal support by 10% when compared to the baseline with the change in support for export applications being significantly higher compared to domestic applications. While encouraging the development of Australia's export industry it was also found that respondents' general support depends on their socio-economic characteristics and geographic location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rule of law is a wideranging concept. This presentation focuses on its significance for the administration of the Australian tax system. In particular, I want to explore whether, in circumstances where there is a change in the interpretation of particular tax laws or a longstanding administrative practice, we can be certain that the Commissioner of Taxation exercises his extensive powers within a framework which is consistent with the rule of law and the fair treatment of taxpayers. I will be exploring how the Commissioner currently uses his power of general administration, the private and public ruling system and the statutory remedial power to manage such situations. This exploration will also encompass how similar situations are managed in other jurisdictions. As we will find, none of these mechanisms is entirely satisfactory in ensuring that taxpayers are always treated fairly and with due consideration. The solution, I believe, is to be found in a new statutory protection for taxpayers who rely on the stated positions of the Commissioner of Taxation and established administrative practices. This, in my view, is the only way to ensure sufficient protection for taxpayers, whilst, at the same time, preserving the rule of law and enhancing public confidence in the tax system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic imbalances that characterize the world economy have unequally distributed costs and benefits. That raises the question of how countries could run long-term external surpluses and deficits without significant opposition against the policies that generate them. We show that political discourse helps to secure public support for these policies and the resulting economic outcomes. First, a content analysis of 32 000 newspaper articles finds that the dominant interpretations of current account balances in Australia and Germany concur with very distinct perspectives: external surpluses are seen as evidence of competitiveness in Germany, while external deficits are interpreted as evidence of attractiveness for investments in Australia. Second, survey experiments in both countries suggest that exposure to these diverging interpretations has a causal effect on citizens' support for their country's economic strategy. Political discourse, thus, is crucial to provide the societal foundation of national growth strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments in Australia have provided variable support to, and actual involvement in, successive public sector reforms over the past 40 years. The latter's success in implementation, not surprisingly, has been most evident when governments (and ministers) have contributed to ongoing development and implementation initiatives. The political environment was generally stable in much of the earlier decades and governments 'enjoyed' higher levels of public trust and confidence than they do now in a much more politically turbulent situation. A better focus on risk management in producing required outcomes would contribute significantly to better performance and to greater public support and involvement. While one would not wish to be seen as merely 'tilting at windmills', actual results achieved do more for public confidence than simply providing assurance about administrative decisions in spending public money, important as that is in the public context. In order for ministers (and even cabinets for particular programmes) to be involved in issues such as risk appetite and risk tolerance, they need to have confidence in the risk management policies and practices implemented in the agency/department and its governance framework. Sometimes the next step is easier than it might first appear. The impending report of the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service might be the catalyst necessary to take that step in the public interest and restore confidence in government. ABSTRACT Taking a risk with public money has long been anathema to parliaments and the general public in any Westminster system of government with a particular emphasis on administrative and financial legislation involving administrative process and prohibition. The latter have been reinforced by associated rules, controls and regulations and subject to external oversight and investigation by treasury/finance and attorney general departments, policing bodies and audit offices, to name a few. In recent years, attention has been increasingly focused on programme outcomes and associated performance measures. This has raised the question of taking risks to achieve better outcomes. After all, this is what happens in the private sector. This question achieved a higher profile with the greater involvement of the private sector in the determination and delivery of public services. But does the public sector have the necessary insights and skills and experience to make the necessary judgements and achieve the required outcomes within a legislated framework of ethical conduct, values and public interest requirements? And is this really acceptable to governments, legislative bodies and the public? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Enacting evidence-based public health policy can be challenging. One factor contributing to this challenge is a lack of public support for specific policies, which may stem from limited interest or conviction by policy arguments. This can happen when messaging strategies regarding policy do not resonate with the target group and/or policy narratives compete in public discourse. To understand how policy messaging can better resonate with a target audience, we examined the frames and narratives used by the Australian public when discussing nutrition policies.Methods: We conducted 76 street intercept interviews in urban and regional settings in Queensland, Australia. Quantitative data were analysed using mean agreement scores and t-tests, and the qualitative data were analysed using an adapted qualitative narrative policy framework (QNPF). The QNPF is used to illustrate how competing narratives vary in the way they define different elements. These elements often include setting, characters, plot, policy solution and belief systems.Results: Level of support for all nutrition policies was generally moderate to high, although nutrition policies perceived to be most intrusive to personal freedoms were the least popular among the public. The value of fairness was consistently invoked when participants discussed their support for or opposition to policy. Using the QNPF, two distinct settings were evident in the narratives: concern for the community or concern for self. Villains were identified as either "other individuals, in particular parents" or "Big Food". Victims were identified as "children" or "the food industry, in particular farmers". Frequently used plots focused on individuals making poor choices because they were uneducated, versus Big Food being powerful and controlling people and the government.Conclusions: The study examined the frames and narratives used by the Australian public when discussing nutrition policies. By examining these frames and narratives, we gained insight into multiple strategies which may increase public support for certain nutrition policies in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2018, a large, coordinated environmental flow was instituted along the Barwon‐Darling (Barka) River to connect ecosystems and restore public confidence in water regulation in the Murray‐Darling Basin. This article examines the multiple river realities enacted by this event—environmental flow, regulated flow, unregulated flow, shut‐up flow—as a conflict over what constitutes the character of water during substantial change in Australia's settler colonial systems of water governance. Geographical analyses of event spaces from military contexts assisted in unpacking the ontological and spatio‐temporal matters germane to this situation in which managers needed to heed the dynamism of the river at both material and institutional registers. The article describes the scientific and regulatory practices and visual technologies through which management of an "event‐ful" river brought together some waters (but not others) into something ontologically secure and coherent, and therefore governable. It shows how the naturalising discourse constrained and enabled what could be said about the relations deserving of water and who gets to decide what socio‐material connections water might make. Aboriginal leaders interviewed during the flow chose to emphasise a wider relational set of connections than did state water managers, and to accentuate dysfunctional and destructive relations, thereby inviting others to think and feel differently about environmental flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents analysis of a database of over 6,700 applications for judicial review of refugee cases in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. The data reveals that the rate at which applications for judicial review are accepted by the Court varies widely based on the judge who hears the case and a number of other factors. While our findings are not necessarily a matter for concern, we argue that they do raise questions around the potential influence of cognitive and social biases in judicial decision-making, as well as in relation to the case management and resourcing of the Court. Drawing on recent research in the field of cognitive and behavioural sciences, we outline how statistics of the nature collected in our study could inform interventions and reforms aimed at addressing such biases and increase public confidence in the judicial system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large proportion of the global population is currently grappling with water shortages. In many countries, the potential implementation of recycled water initiatives has been thwarted because of public opposition towards the notion of using recycled water. The development of effective advertising messages that increase public acceptance and willingness to use alternative water sources would increase the likelihood of recycled water use being embraced by communities. The present study conducted a factorial design experiment to test the effectiveness of 18 different print advertising messages in the context of recycled water use. Both egoistic and altruistic benefits are equally effective in increasing behavioural intention. Communicating the delivery rather than the desirability of benefits is more likely to increase community acceptance of recycled water. Print media represents a cost-effective marketing channel and has the potential to facilitate greater public support for recycled water initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are central to international conservation frameworks and public support has been recognised as critical to their effective implementation. Accordingly, measures of public attitudes to MPAs are routinely undertaken. Public opinion research frequently indicates high levels of public support for MPAs despite low levels of public understanding of the tools and the protections offered by existing MPA systems. Nonetheless, studies indicating public support enhance the social licence of the actors responsible for designing and managing MPAs. To date, there has been little scrutiny of who conducts public opinion research. Using Australia as a case study, this paper presents the results of a systematic review of primary public opinion research on MPAs in Australia between 2000 and 2022 (n = 68). The review focusses on the upstream phase of research production and identifies the academic, government, and commercial or civil society actors who contribute to primary attitudinal data via authorship, funding, and/or named support. The overwhelming majority of the research reviewed (78%) was contributed to by government actors while academics contributed to 68%. Drawing on science and technology studies (STS) and communication studies literature and theories, we consider our results in the context of the non-neutral production of knowledge and its communication. The substantial contribution of governments to the research which reports overwhelming public support for Australian MPAs and, in turn, provides the social license that legitimises how government actors have applied the management tool in the Australian context, is a finding that invites further exploration. • Systematic literature review of the production of Australian public opinion research reporting attitudes to MPAs. • MPA public opinion research is contributed to predominately by government (78%) and academic institutions (68%). • Seventy six percent (76%) of the research is directly authored and/or funded by government. • Concentrated research production may entrench biases in the assessment of social license for marine management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1912 and 1914, the Anglo-American popularizer of astronomy, Mary Proctor, undertook a tour of Australia and New Zealand in order to promote a solar observatory project that would ultimately be realized as the Mount Stromlo Observatory in Australia. Proctor came at the request of Walter Geoffrey Duffield, who would go on to be the first Director of the Mt Stromlo Observatory and who saw the need to raise funds and public support for the project. Proctor's tour was high-profile and nearly saw the realization of a solar observatory as part of the Cawthron Institute at Nelson, New Zealand. Despite this, Proctor's tour is absent from histories of Mount Stromlo and, until recently, had also been overlooked in New Zealand. I argue that this historical lacuna speaks to a number of historiographical biases: for success over failure; against the role of public activities in scientific work; and downplaying the contribution of women. Mary Proctor was a significant transitional figure in the history of early twentieth-century science-communication who should be more widely recognised. The foundation of the Mt Stromlo Solar Observatory is celebrated as a major achievement in the history of Australian science, but for many years there was uncertainty about its construction. Between 1912 and 1914 the Anglo-American popularizer of astronomy, Mary Proctor, undertook a tour of Australia and New Zealand, which nearly resulted in an observatory being built at Nelson, New Zealand. The lack of historical attention to Proctor's tour, and the plans for Nelson, speak to the way in which we tend to remember success over failure, to overlook the role of popularization in science, and to forget the contribution of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the strength of support for direct democracy among Australian citizens, both in general and, in a world-first, across different specific topics. Analysing data from the Australian Constitutional Values Survey , we investigate whether that support is higher among people who are more educated and politically interested (in line with a 'cognitive mobilisation' hypothesis) or those who are dissatisfied with politics, with low levels of political trust ('political disaffection'). The article finds that Australians widely support the use of direct democracy, but especially with respect to constitutional issues and matters of principle that they feel they can readily engage with, whereas parliaments are still seen as best placed to decide more technical matters. The article also finds that support for direct democracy is strongest among politically disaffected citizens, in ways that suggest greater use of direct democracy may have a role to play in addressing decline in political trust in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents data from questions about sex offender registration orders in a large national survey on Australian public opinion about adult sex offenders. It outlines the legislative frameworks that govern these registers in Australia and discusses the use of public registers, the research on the effectiveness of sex offender registers, and Australian attitudes to such registers. Our surveys of three cohorts of members of the Australian public reveal strong public support for sex offender registers, especially for cases involving child victims. However, there was also support for judicial discretion in the imposition of orders and reduced support for automatic registration where a non-custodial sentence is imposed. The Australian Government has recently announced the establishment of a national public sex offender register, but our findings show limited support for this approach. The implications for policy and practice are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Australians would like to see a significant expansion to Australia's MPA system. • Only 10% of Australians are aware that Australian MPAs are not subject to uniform protections. • Marine environments are valued by Australians more for intrinsic rather than economic or recreational reasons. • Australians would like to see marine life as the focus when designing future MPAs. • Australians consider microplastics and climate change to be the greatest threats facing marine environments. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a key international conservation strategy to regulate human pressures on marine environments and are central to marine management in Australia. Public support is considered crucial to the success of MPAs in achieving the long-term conservation of nature, yet how the broader Australian public understands and values MPAs is not well understood. Previous research has explored attitudes of direct and proximate stakeholder groups or focused on specific regions. Human connections to marine environments, however, are not limited to direct use nor confined to single geographies. We surveyed a nationally representative sample of Australian adults (n = 1049) to explore how the broader public understand, connect to, and value Australia's marine environments and MPAs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate general attitudes to Australia's total MPA system and interconnected marine environments with a nationally representative sample to provide an aggregated overview of Australian public attitudes. Most Australians (53%) acknowledge that they have a knowledge gap regarding the restrictions, requirements, and protections of MPAs as they apply in the Australian context, while 37% incorrectly believe that all MPAs offer uniform protections that, for example, prohibit the extraction of natural resources. Australians want to see an expansion of MPA coverage to represent 73% of Australian waters. Australians value the intrinsic biospheric characteristics of marine environments and want to see marine life as the focus when designing MPAs, above instrumental dimensions including industry and recreation. This study provides important insights for policymakers and managers in meeting broader public expectations in the expansion of Australia's marine protections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To test the effectiveness of a male-targeted upstream public health intervention in increasing help-seeking intentions for mental disorders and suicide in an adolescent population.Method: A two-arm controlled trial was conducted with 10 schools in the Australian Capital Territory. A total of 594 male adolescents aged between 16 and 18 years participated in the study. Participants in the intervention condition received the single session Silence is Deadly program, while participants in the control condition completed usual classes. All participants completed a pre-intervention, post-intervention, and a 6- to 12-week follow-up survey assessing help-seeking intentions, attitudes, and behaviors.Results: At follow-up, the Silence is Deadly program was found to significantly increase help-seeking intentions from friends, which was in line with the program's messaging to seek help from and provide support to friends in times of distress or suicide risk. The program did not have an effect on help-seeking intentions for other sources of help or on help-seeking attitudes and behavior.Conclusions: The present study provides preliminary support for male-targeted public health interventions for suicide that use male-focused norming and role modeling to improve help-seeking in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a normal part of the variable Australian climate, occurring on average every thirteen years since 1870. Changes in agricultural policy since the 1980s have attempted to shift more of the drought risk from the state to the producer. During drought, however, governments feel political pressure to support the industry financially. The iconography of rural hardship and representation of drought as crisis in media discourse are key factors in forcing government intervention and ensuring public support. We analysed the content of eighty news articles during six months of the drought which began in 2018. In line with previous research, we found that drought was represented primarily through its effects on the agricultural industry. Implicit disaster narratives persisted, but in contrast to past studies, a recognition of drought as normal was more salient than drought as exceptional. Agrarian narratives emphasising the exceptional cultural value of the agricultural industry persisted and were presented as justification for continued government support. Scientifically informed discourses, recognising the effects of climate change on future drought risk and acknowledging the role of the agricultural industry in current and historical environmental degradation, were scarce or absent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a normal part of the variable Australian climate, occurring on average every thirteen years since 1870. Changes in agricultural policy since the 1980s have attempted to shift more of the drought risk from the state to the producer. During drought, however, governments feel political pressure to support the industry financially. The iconography of rural hardship and representation of drought as crisis in media discourse are key factors in forcing government intervention and ensuring public support. We analysed the content of eighty news articles during six months of the drought which began in 2018. In line with previous research, we found that drought was represented primarily through its effects on the agricultural industry. Implicit disaster narratives persisted, but in contrast to past studies, a recognition of drought as normal was more salient than drought as exceptional. Agrarian narratives emphasising the exceptional cultural value of the agricultural industry persisted and were presented as justification for continued government support. Scientifically informed discourses, recognising the effects of climate change on future drought risk and acknowledging the role of the agricultural industry in current and historical environmental degradation, were scarce or absent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Effective government policies are crucial to creating healthy food environments. However, changing public policy is a slow and challenging process involving many competing factors. One cited factor is public opinion towards a proposed policy. This study aimed to systematically explore public opinion on regulatory nutrition policy issues in Australia from 2009 to 2019, to determine whether low levels of public opinion corresponded with the low levels of regulatory policy action in this country. We found that there was varying levels of public support in Australia for public health nutrition action. Regulatory‐ and legislative‐based policies generally had moderate to high levels of support except for food and drink taxes, which had low to moderate support. Despite high levels of public support for certain policy initiatives, national public health nutrition policy in Australia has not evolved consistently with the level of public support nor the evidence base over the past decade indicating other more important factors at play in policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media narratives that dehumanise asylum seekers have tremendous power to shape and reinforce public support for policies that jeopardise the well-being of some of the world's most vulnerable people. Research suggests that such dehumanisation is exacerbated by the limited opportunities these groups have to contribute to media coverage about their experiences. In response, scholars have advocated for more inclusion of asylum seekers' voices in news coverage; however, little is known about how Australian media audiences are engaging with this issue. This article discusses research utilising Critical Discourse Analysis alongside a cultural studies Audience Reception framework to examine the perspectives of 24 Western Australians concerning news discourses about asylum seekers. Resistance to dehumanising constructions was a recurring theme, with many participants arguing for greater inclusion of asylum seekers voices' in news depictions of their plight. These findings suggest that some audiences are challenging and resisting dehumanising discourses about asylum seekers and in some cases, demonstrating awareness of Australian media's evident exclusion of their voices. Examined through Judith Butler's social ethics lens, we consider these findings in the light of positions that advocate for the provision of voice as a means to a more ethical and inclusive Australian media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is inevitable that some people granted conditional release will (re)offend, but most will complete their order without incident. Nevertheless, the standard approach adopted by correctional agencies to communicating with the public about community corrections is one of minimal information. We suggest that this may create an impression that offenders are dark shadowy figures incapable of change or redemption. To address this, we set out an agenda for Australian governments to build public confidence in community corrections. We call for more robust program evaluation, publication of the results and regular updates on trends in successful order completion. We also highlight the importance of educating the public about crime and corrections and the need to improve the credibility of community corrections. Finally, governments should do more to humanise offenders. The public has a right to know more about how offenders are managed in the community. They also deserve to hear the stories behind the statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether the eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus) is extinct on mainland Australia, particularly New South Wales (NSW), is the focus of this study. The species declined rapidly during the mid to late 1800s in parts of south-east Australia and in the early 1900s around Bega (New South Wales). The last definite live individual was recorded at Vaucluse, NSW in 1963. The recent emergence of a specimen from Barrington Tops, NSW, in 1989 caused much public interest and enabled us to seek reports of sightings after we advertised publicly for any records. Here we document numerous post-1963 records, the most noteworthy including: a photograph of an eastern quoll (reported to be taken in 2013 in the Nungatta area of NSW), records from Wollemi National Park (2002 and 2006) and multiple observations from the 1990s from around Barrington Tops and Carrai. There has been insufficient recent mammal survey effort to definitively support these public reports but at this stage there are sufficient recent credible records to consider that this species may not be extinct on mainland Australia. The eastern quoll is currently considered extinct on mainland Australia, with the last definite live individual recorded at Vaucluse, NSW in 1963. Prompted by the discovery of a 1989 specimen from Barrington Tops, we document and review recent records, the most noteworthy including a photograph (2013, Nungatta NSW) and multiple observations from the 1990s in the Barrington Tops and Carrai areas. The review finds sufficient recent credible records to consider that this species may not be extinct on mainland Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]