Message from the Director

Welcome to the jam-packed April edition of It’s Time. The Whitlam Institute has been extremely busy lately, as you'll see from the rest of the E-Mag. One of the most exciting developments has been the recent release of the first edition of a new series of policy think pieces.

Perspectives offers respected public intellectuals an opportunity to canvass ideas and to put their views forward on the policies that would shape a better, fairer Australia. The series is designed to encourage creative, even bold, thinking and occasionally new ways of looking at the challenges of 21st Century.

The Global Financial Crisis is one such challenge. While the managers of our economy (political leaders, public officials, business leaders) have little choice but to devote themselves to the immediate issues of keeping the global economy afloat and limiting the damage at home, there is a collective need to be asking just where we want to be at the other side of this crisis.

That's the question we put to Federation Fellow in Economics and Political Science at the University of Queensland, Professor John Quiggin. Professor Quiggin takes up the challenge with a thoughtful, some may say provocative, exploration of what may be required to give practical effect to a social democratic economic agenda. He presents a coherent package of ideas and a powerful argument to support it. This is a substantial and thoughtful piece of work exemplifying that rare capacity to articulate complex ideas in an engaging and accessible fashion.

I believe this first issue of Perspectives will prove to be an important contribution to the economic policy debate we have to have and I would encourage you to have a good read of An Agenda for Social Democracy.

The economy features in other recent work at the Institute. Commencing on 26 May we will be running what promises to be a cracker public information series on Getting to Grips with the Economy. Sydney-siders can come along to the Riverside Theatres but no matter where you live you will be able to view the presentations online. And for those who missed last year's series on Energy Security we've just released a very user friendly DVD ROM which brings the podcasts and presentations together.

In this edition of It's Time you will also find lots of news on our recent activities and a couple of hints on what's to come in 2009.

Happy reading – and don’t forget your feedback is also very welcome!

Eric Sidoti

Director