La Trobe Opinions 2008
La Trobe Opinions are the views of La Trobe academics and are not official University policy.
If you would like to publish a La Trobe Opinion, or contact an academic for an expert opinion, please call the La Trobe Media Unit on +61 3 9479 5346 or email: m.pearce@latrobe.edu.au
August
Autism Research with Dr Cheryl Dissanayake
Dr Cheryl Dissanayake
25 August
Listen to the interview [MP3 11 MB] | Read the interview
Dr Cheryl Dissanayake, director of the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre and a senior lecturer in psychological science at La Trobe, discusses the challenges of studying autism and the importance of understanding.
Taming hatred in our midst
John Carroll
25 August
The troubled relations between radical Islam and the West triggered on September 11, 2001, show little sign of settling. In the past seven years challenges and questions have arisen on many fronts. I want to reflect here on some of them.
The Threat of the Classroom
Professor David Spencer
25 August
Academics shouldn't feel threatened by the classroom — teaching can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, one that academics should embrace with the same energy as they do with conducting research.
The Olympic spirit? It's a simple, shared global experience
Dennis Altman
21 August
Australia has a particular relationship to the Olympics. One of only four countries to have competed in all Games since their inception in 1896, we and the United States are the only countries to have hosted the Games twice since World War II.
Beware the rise of Russia's new imperialism
Dr Robert Horvath
21 August
To deny that Russian imperialism is shaping the events unfolding in the Caucasus is to ignore the public pronouncements of Russian leaders and the climate of nationalist hysteria that permeates the Russian media.
Beyond David and Goliath
Aris Gounaris
19 August
When push came to shove, Georgia never stood a chance of defending these parts of its territory (South Ossetia and Abkhazia) against the military might of its northern neighbour, Russia.
Why a carbon tax should be Australia's answer to climate change
Keith Kendall
11 August
A carbon tax, not an emissions trading scheme, would be a more efficient and more effective challenge to the problem of climate change.
Olympian Physiotherapy with Mark Alexander
Mark Alexander
8 August
Listen to the interview [MP3 11 MB] | Read the interview
Mark Alexander, a lecturer in Health Sciences and sports physiotherapist for the Australian Olympic triathlon team, takes the time to talk about the Olympics and caring for its athletes before flying to Beijing.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn is the man who put the writing on the wall for Leninist totalitarianism
Dr Robert Horvath
7 August
The death of philosopher and writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn marks the passing of one of Russia's major cultural figures.
Threat of Nuclear Armageddon still a reality
Dr Christopher Scanlon
6 August
The threat of nuclear Armageddon did not die at the end of the Cold War and without renewed efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons the threat remains.
Olympic dream in sight? Not for this athlete
Associate Professor Tim Bach
1 August
For a few thousand athletes, the Olympic dream is about to begin. For thousands of disabled athletes like Oscar Pistorius it is already over.
July
A talk with Tim Flannery
Professor Tim Flannery
31 July
Listen to the interview [MP3 12 mb] | Read the interview
Respected scientist and Australian of the Year for 2007, Professor Tim Flannery takes the time to talk about the environment and Australia's future.
Film it, and will they come?
Associate Professor Sue Beeton, PhD
23 July
Film and TV series locations are seen as magnets for tourism, but its not that simple.
Space Matters with Dr. Murray Parkinson (opinion piece & interview)
Dr Murray Parkinson
23 July
Read the opinion piece | Listen to the interview [MP3 13.9MB] | Read the interview
Dr. Murray Parkinson of the Space Physics Group discusses the effects of space weather on Earth, and Australia's need to join the space race.
The China factor in Australia's quest for Olympic gold
Dr Rosemary Farrell
22nd July
Chinese trainers and their specialised training techniques also feature in Australian elite athlete training. Chinese crobatic training, skills and acts were introduced to Australian new circus by visiting Chinese trainers in 1983.
Barack Obama and the power of race in American history
Dr Tim Minchin
21 July
Until very recently, few Americans, white or black, could have believed that an African American would have a realistic opportunity of being the leader of the world's most powerful country.
The Umpire Strikes Back – Australian Industrial Relations Commission back in charge of industrial relations?
Dr Jill Murray
Director, Honours, Research and Graduate Studies
School of Law
18 July
The AIRC is set to be replaced by Fair Work Australia, but the Commissions final acts may be its most significant.
Matching Rudd's Asian ambition with reality
Dr Nick Bisley
17 July
Strengthening Asia's institutional infrastructure is a daunting challenge.
The food crisis: an African perspective
Dr Peter Sale
16 July
The food crisis is a terrible disaster facing many people around the world and the widespread shortages of basic food staples is leading to rapidly escalating prices.
The challenge of keeping athletes fit for Olympic Glory
Mark Alexander
11 July
Athletes and their coaches are always treading a fine line.
What Kevin Rudd should tell the Pope
Professor Dennis Altman
10 July
There are many vital issues Kevin Rudd should raise with the Pope, chances are they won't be said.
FuelWatch evidence runs on empty
Professor Don Harding
4 July
The danger with ideas such as FuelWatch that go badly wrong is that they corrupt the whole fabric of evidence-based decision-making and erode public trust in governments.
Why Australia needs a less powerful Senate
Ian Tulloch
2nd July
What Australia needs is a less powerful Senate, a Senate which cannot block supply and cannot unduly hold up the legislation of the government of the day. Long ago the British House of Lords lost its power to defeat legislation amd Australia should follow suit.
June
A talk with Jon Lee Anderson
Jon Lee Anderson
30 June
Listen to the interview [MP3 43.9MB] | Read the interview
A conversation between international author and New Yorker war and political correspondent Jon Lee Anderson, and Associate Professor Nick Bisley of La Trobe University. This talk was held at the State Library of Victoria on 26 May 2008. Jon Lee Anderson was in Australia through the co-operation of La Trobe University and the Sydney Writers' Festival.
Zimbabwe's Crisis is Africa's Challenge (opinion piece & interview)
Dr David Dorward
24 June
Read the opinion piece | Listen to the interview [MP3 17.1MB] | Read the interview
Robert Mugabe's despotic rule is plunging Zimbabwe deeper into crisis and finding a solution is Africa's challenge.
Dental Health With Professor Peter Wilson
Professor Peter Wilson
23 June
Listen to the interview [MP3 13.2 mb] | Read the interview
Professor Peter Wilson of the La Trobe University Dental School discusses the challenges of establishing the school in Bendigo, fluoridation, and bringing better dental care and services to regional and rural Victoria.
Work Balance With Donatella Cavagnoli
Donatella Cavagnoli
12 June
Listen to the interview [MP3 10.6 mb] | Read the interview
Donatella Cavagnoli of the Department of Economics and Finance discusses the issues of work life balance and how recent ABS data on the hours we work should be interpreted.
CSR as an integral part of business: Why the Westpac approach is working
Dr Suzanne Young
6 June
Westpac is an excellent example of a corporation that takes CSR seriously, and Suzanne Young describes some of the company's interesting approaches.
PM's driven work-ethic a health-risk
Wendy Macdonald
4 June
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has made his driven-work ethic a central part of his Government, the risks in this approach however, for him and his staff are very real.
Tinkering with the petrol price ignores the real issue
Venkat Narayanan
3 June
A long-term approach is crucial to solve the energy crisis.
May
Australia's Future in the Region and the World
Dr Michalis Michael
30 May
Australia's future success depends on the Asia-Pacific region.
Digging up Ned - all over again
Alex McDermott
23 May
The Kelly saga and all who sail in her continues to seethe with arguments, controversy, missing bones, stolen skulls, ceaseless internet chatter, tourist sites, souvenirs, and enduring iconography. Historian Alex McDermott revisits this Australian legend.
Interview: Science Education
Vaughan Prain
23 May
Listen to the interview [MP3 8.8 mb] | Read the interview
Professor Vaughan Prain, Deputy Dean of Education, talks about the current approaches being taken to developing deeper thinking in science amongst primary and secondary school aged students.
Dear Ms Gillard
Morag Fraser
21 May
Morag Fraser takes Julia Gillard on a virtual tour into the world of education.
Interview: Body Image
Siân McLean
14 May
Listen to the interview [MP3 15.9 mb] | Read the interview
Siân McLean of Psychological Science discusses a healthy self opinion and the 'Set Your Body Free Program' being run at La Trobe University.
Interview: Celebrity Culture
Dr Christopher Scanlon
7 May
Listen to the interview [MP3 19.3 mb] | Read the interview
Dr Christopher Scanlon, a lecturer in media studies, explains why celebrities like Wayne Carey are just a product a sick culture, and that society is as much to blame for their behaviour as the celebrities themselves.
Interview: Sustainability Reporting
Professor Carol Adams
1 May
Listen to the interview [MP3 20.8 mb] | Read the interview
Listen to professor Adams explain why business needs to take the environmental and sustainability concerns of staff and customers very seriously, and why Australia has a lot of work to catch up with the rest of the developed world.
April
Interview: Water Trading
Dr Lin Crase
23 April
Listen to the interview [MP3 16.9 mb] | Read the interview
Dr Lin Crase talks about his new book, Water policy in Australia: the impact of trade and uncertainty, and advocates some radical solutions to a problem that is affecting the entire country.
Talk on Australia 2020
Professor Joe Camilleri
17 April
Professor Camilleri is a passionate believer in dialogue and in this opinion piece advocates the importance of ongoing community consultation after the 2020 Summit. Broadcast also available.
Community Legal Centres lead on law reform
Liz Curran
15 April
Lecturer in Law, Liz Curran explains her unique research on law reform in Australia and its impact on civil society.
Talkin' about a revolution…
Professor Andrew Brennan
11 April
Professor Brennan discusses how underfunding has brought Australia's universities to crisis point and that bureaucratic pressures are diverting scarce resources away from teaching.
Carey a product of sick culture
Christopher Scanlon
2nd April
Media Lecturer Christopher Scanlon argues that media hunger for sensationalism and scandal is helping to create the bad behaviour individuals like Wayne Carey exhibit.
March
Unbalanced work on work-life balance
Donatella Cavagnoli
28 March
Lecturer Donatella Cavagnoli discusses the impact of increased work pressures and explores some of the complexities of the issue.
Ports in Deep Water
Peter Turnbull
18 March
Distinguished Visiting Fellow Peter Turnbull argues that Channel Deepening is unnecessary, and only serves big shipping industry and not the community. Broadcast also available.
Education Unis between a rock and a hard choice
Professor Frank Jackson
14 March
Professor Jackson discusses the difficult financial situation Australian universities find themselves in, and suggests possible ways forward.
Who is Vaile serving?
Professor Andrew Brennan
10 March
Professor Brennan argues if the new Federal Government wants to raise the standard of public conduct in Australia it needs to demonstrate its own break with the cronyism and corrupting mateship that has characterised so much of the country's recent political past.
January
It's time for complementary medicine regulation to put public interests first
Dr Ken Harvey
29 January
Dr Harvey advocates for the urgent need to register complimentary medicine to avoid negative impacts on public health.
Trying to connect
Dr Kay Souter
23 January
Dr Souter argues that new social media tools have an important role in teaching and that Universities need to look at ways to support them to help enhance students experience.
It's not all bad news for companies tackling climate change
Professor Carol Adams
18 January
Professor Adams discusses why embracing environmental concerns is good business for companies.
Shoddy practices must end if sustainability reporting to be trusted
Professor Carol Adams and Terence Jeyaretnam
8 January
Professor Adams argues that shoddy reporting by companies of sustainability must end if industry is going to gain "green" credibility.