“A study of 15 women found that sweat on patients’ fingers contains proteins that allow scientists to detect breast cancer with 98 per cent accuracy. The radical technique, which can also gauge the severity of the disease, simply requires a patient to smear their fingertips onto a sample plate. Professor Francese and her team from Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield believe that eventually – if the results are confirmed in larger trials – the process could replace mammograms.” The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports. The Times

For years now, many commentators, including myself, have been calling for the political class to realise that our representative democratic processes are grinding to a halt when trying to address substantive issues.   The public has become tired of watching politically driven game playing and the lack of evidence-based policy and action. Cynicism and lack of trust in politicians and other institutional power structures have become embedded.   If we are to succeed in addressing indigenous recognition, government spending, taxation and the many other substantive issues our nation faces, the government must effectively engage with the electorate.https://ideaspies.com/search?q=glenn+barnes

In today’s Australian Financial Review (2/2/23) the assistant minister for competition, charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh called for more evidence to back government programs. Mr Leigh says: “Too many programs start with too little evidence to back them up, and no study of what worked and what did not. That is going to change.”   It would be a delight if the Albanese government embraced the principle and practice behind the assistant minister’s article.   The Evidence-Based Policy Project has over recent years demonstrated the poor policy outcomes delivered by governments not using such an approach.   https://evidencebasedpolicy.org.au/

Treasurer Jim Chalmers proposes a new management model for the Australian economy. Although presented as a model of “fairness” that overcomes the social failings of the free market, it sounds very much like the failed models of “guided democracy” tried in various failing socialist states.   “The Treasurer says Labor will ditch the free-market policy consensus that has steered rich countries over two generations and fashion a values-based economy in partnership with business, unions and community groups.”   This model of forcing Labor dogma under the cover of “elites” will also fail.   True engagement of the electorate is the way forward…

The Federal Treasurer is now in the important stages of preparation for his May Budget. As he does this, he needs to address a structural deficit and chart a path back to the surplus required to reduce debt accumulated during the COVID shutdowns. Additionally, the growing costs of the NDIS and an ageing population need to be funded.   There are significant political hurdles to overcome in making the hard revenue and spending choices needed to overcome the structural deficit. Only through effective engagement of the population can the hard decisions be made in a way that neutralises the political risks.

Albanese’s Labor Government is having an extended honeymoon. The Liberals are still agonising over losing power.   Both parties suffer a “relevance deficit” for most Australians. They represent dogma driven by left vs right historical positions, labour vs capital, and conservatism vs progressive.  Their structures and processes reflect the last century’s society and cannot collect, digest and build community consensus on complex issues effectively enough to serve the best interests of today’s Australia.   Australia needs a party that can lead open and broad community dialogue, listen and then present evidence-based policies to the electorate that meet the “common interest” test.