There is no doubt that plebiscites are powerful indicators of public opinion, but when it comes to complex public policy questions, they can detract from good decision-making, writes Jenny Stewart.
In the world of public policy, constant changes that are politically induced do not lead to good outcomes. Just look at the policy on Aboriginal Australians, writes Jenny Stewart.
For too long, the debate about Australian higher-education has been fixated on who pays for what, when and how. We need to pay as much attention to intellectual outcomes as we do to financial ones, writes Jenny Stewart.
