Raise the question of who should look after the kids, and you enter a minefield of gender roles, household distribution of labour, and parenting styles, with any wrong step potentially fatal. Arguments such as women have a biological affinity with raising children or that they’re better at it are sure to come up. Alternatively, workplaces

Clive Hamilton left the Australia Institute at the end of February to devote himself to writing. Here he pens his last comment for the newsletter.

Australia After Howard What sort of government will Rudd Labor be? Clive Hamilton situates last month’s dramatic defeat of John Howard within broader historical trends.

Ever wondered how the PR industry operates, its tactics and links to government and business? A new book, Inside Spin published by Allen & Unwin, reveals how spin doctors invisibly influence just about every news story we read. Author Bob Burton provides an inside look.

Turbulence ahead by Andrew Macintosh and Christian Downie Universities and fossil fuel capture by Christian Downie Silencing dissent: The Federal Government strikes by James Arvanitakis Grassroots campaign against sexualisation of children by Julie Gale See Paris and Die? by Steve Biddulph Academic economists call for Kyoto ratification by Clive Hamilton Insuring against catastrophic change by

Who wants a nuclear power plant by Andrew Macintosh Burning up the landscape by Christian Downie Defending dissent by Sarah Maddison Mobile phones and consumer kids by Christian Downie What’s wrong with a SLAPP? by Brian Walters Muffins beat Affluenza The National Greenhouse Accounts and land clearing by Andrew Macintosh Woodchips or water? Legal protection

Sex and Children: A volatile mix by Emma Rush Playing politics with national security by Andrew Wilkie Religion and global warming by Kate Mannix Howard’s morality play by Andrew Macintosh Howard’s politics of the past by Clive Hamilton The changing climate of business by Molly Harriss Olson Dramatic changes to Land Rights law by Sean

Who listens to Alan Jones by Clive Hamilton Indonesia’s nuclear plans Are fossil fuel companies ‘capturing’ our universities? by Christian Downie School vouchers: update by Andrew Macintosh History wars and heritage omissions by Deb Wilkinson Rich boomer, poor boomer by Myra Hamilton Tourism subsidies are money down the drain by Christian Downie The use and

Quality of child care by Emma Rush New media – just more of the same by Christian Downie The nuclear debate warms up by Andrew Macintosh Losing faith in the official future by Richard Eckersley School Vouchers by Andrew Macintosh Dealing with America by John Langmore Equality of opportunity by Fred Argy A new approach

Drug Law Reform by Andrew Macintosh Skip Dipping by Emma Rush The Dirty Politics of Climate Change by Clive Hamilton Gagging the CSIRO by Roslyn Beeby Bugging Legislation by Cameron Murphy

Who Drives 4WDs? by Clive Hamilton The Nationals’ Telstra Deal by Deb Wilkinson New Climate Institute Can We Withdraw From Iraq? by Barry Naughten Beyond Right and Left by David McKnight A Sick Economy? by Clive Hamilton The Senate: Now and Then by Emma Rush Corporate Control of Child Care by Emma Rush Fear and

Activists: How to beat them at their own game by Katherine Wilson Mapping Homophobia in Australia by Michael Flood and Clive Hamilton Poverty in Australia: Vinnies versus the CIS by Clive Hamilton The EPBC Act: A five-year assessment by Andrew Macintosh and Deb Wilkinson Managing the Economy: A Political Scorecard by Prof. Raja Junankar Will

Stuck in Traffic by Claire Barbato Government stymies advocacy by green NGOs by Clive Hamilton Wellbeing Manifesto launch Howard’s Children by Richard Denniss The ‘Left” and the Iraq War by Clive Hamilton Taxpayers Soaked by Andrew Macintosh Is the Bracks Government Serious about Climate Change? ZPG for ACT? by Claire Barbato Gross National Happiness by

Waste not want not by Clive Hamilton and Richard Denniss Who is lonely in Australia? by Michael Flood Traffic fine by Clive Hamilton New Book from the Institute Relational thinking by Michael Schluter Climate Taskforce Report Released by Justin Sherrard Private health insurance by Richard Denniss

Property rights and the environment by Andrew Macintosh and Richard Denniss The peripatetic Institute When FTA spells BSE by Hilary Bambrick Can we bury our greenhouse problem? by High Saddler Climate Change Taskforce reaches consensus by Alan Tate Time to mothball the Kyoto sceptics by Clive Hamilton Take the rest of the year off  by

Pandering to the Government by Clive Hamilton Masking private schools accountable by Deb Wilkinson The next gender wars by Barbara Pocock Pets and foreign aid by Richard Denniss Quotes from the tenth anniversary dinner Looking into the ‘Too Hard’ basket Health insurance tricky for the old by Richard Denniss Australians still the world’s worst greenhouse

Silencing dissent by Sarah Maddison Is the growth of private schools good for Australia? by Deb Wilkinson Institute’s filtering strategy vindicated by Michael Flood Children’s exposure to porn increasing by Michael Flood Fortress Australia against climate refugees by Clive Hamilton Caring for children by Michael Flood The growing price of cultural fraud by Richard Eckersley

Getting a life by Christie Breakspear and Clive Hamilton Clean energy futures by Hugh Saddler International Climate Change Taskforce Can’t buy me love? by Barbara Pocock FTA price hikes by Buddhima Lokuge Greenhouse gas emissions by Clive Hamilton Can the arts be democratic? by Pauline Griffiths Family men by Michael Flood

Rocking the cradle by Michael Flood Collusion and insider trading by Bruce Chapman and Richard Denniss Downshifting in Britain by Clive Hamilton U N Expert Group Regional inequality in health insurance by Richard Denniss Patent laws and the FTA by Buddhima Lokuge and Richard Denniss Plan to auction Medicare provider numbers

Charity and advocacy by Rev Tim Costello Making industry assistance accountable by Richard Denniss How much money is enough? by Clive Hamilton Fathers and families by Michael Flood Pharmaceuticals and the FTA by Richard Denniss Sacrificing democracy for growth by Clive Hamilton Homophobia and schools by Michael Flood Annual leave in Australia by Richard Denniss

Comfortable, relaxed and drugged to the eye-balls by Clive Hamilton Reflections on the porn wars by Michael Flood Playing dirty on trade by Richard Denniss What does ‘left wing’ mean? by Clive Hamilton A Tim Tam tax Discarding the UN by Spencer Zifcak Wanted: more information on GM crops by Steve Rix The politics of

Downshifting in Australia by Clive Hamilton Pornography on the Internet by Clive Hamilton The PC’s blind spot Should sports stars get a free ride? by Richard Denniss Young run from health cover by Richard Denniss Grog and cigs up? by Richard Denniss Who should pay for maternity leave? by B Chapman & R Sethi 4WDs:

The politics of affluence by Clive Hamilton Who should pay for maternity leave by Natasha Stott Despoja The Coalition’s Clayton health policy by Richard Denniss Letter to a farmer by Clive Hamilton Deep cuts in greenhouse gases by Clive Hamilton Future population dilemmas by Barney Foran The exhausted Australian by Barbara Pocock

Knocking Down the White Picket Fence by Pamela Kinnear A Way Through the Maternity Leave Maze by Bruce Chapman Rescuing the Truth from the Kids Overboard Affair by Richard Mills Whither the Democrats? by Clive Hamilton Greenhouse Emissions in the Long Term by Hal Turton A Statement by Professional Economists on Climate Change A $1

Has the Institute given up on the Poor by Clive Hamilton Taxes and the Environment by Hal Turton Ageing: The ‘straw man’ of the Federal Budget by Pamela Kinnear Fixing the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme by Martyn Goddard Measuring Australia’s Progress by Clive Hamilton Making the New Indicators Work by Clive Hamilton Childcare: Good or Bad

The Spoilt Brat of Australian Industry by Hal Turton Measuring poverty: How to decide? by Pamela Kinnear Tuvalu’s last legal resort by Clive Hamilton The revolt of the Magic Pudding: Sharing the car in Australia by Nancy Folbre The silence of the good: Taking child abuse seriously by Pamela Kinnear, Shona Chisholm and Jacqui Rees

The Ageing Crisis by Pamela Kinnear Election 2001 by Shaun Wilson Corporate Control of Healthcare by Clive Hamilton Private Insurers’ Healthy Subsidy by Pamela Kinnear Doubting Democracy by John Quiggin Climate of Hypocrisy at CHOGM by Hal Turton Cold Shower for Allen Consulting by Paul Pollard Nobel Laureate Encourages Global Justice by Tim Shorrock