November 28, 2022

UOW expert commentary (28 November - 2 December)

UOW academics provide expert comment, opinion and analysis on a range of ongoing and breaking news stories

Nationals oppose Indigenous Voice to Parliament

Dr Summer May Finlay can discuss the National Party confirming it will not support a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Dr Finlay is a Yorta Yorta woman who grew up on Awabakal country (West Lake Macquarie) and is a passionate advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. She is a Senior Lecturer of Indigenous Health in the School of Health and Society.

Industrial relations bill

Dr Betty Frino can discuss Labor’s new industrial relations bill which is set to pass parliament this week. Dr Frino is a Lecturer in the School of Business. Her research covers remuneration systems and wage setting, labour regulation, workplace productivity and pay equity.
 

Financial Accountability Regime bill

Dr Andy Schmulow is available for interviews about the government backflipping on restoring individual accountability measures that would have seen banking executives facing fines of up to $1.1 million for failing to take reasonable steps to prevent systemic misconduct. He says the bill, in its current form, fails to establish any meaningful measure of individual accountability. Dr Schmulow is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Law.

Cryptocurrency regulation 

Dr Paul Mazzola is available for interviews about growing calls for regulation of the cryptocurrency sector. He recently met with Minister for Financial Services, the Hon Stephen Jones, to discuss the government’s regulatory framework for the crypto ecosystem in Australia. Dr Mazzola says any future bill needs to balance the need for consumer protection and system stability without stifling fintech innovation. Dr Mazzola is a lecturer in banking and finance in the Faculty of Business and Law and has more than 25 years’ banking and finance experience in the Australian, European and Asian pacific markets.  

Reviewing welfare payments

Dr Mona Nikidehaghani can discuss the government agreeing to regularly review social welfare payments, in a deal struck with Independent Senator David Pocock to get his support for Labor’s new industrial relations bill. Dr Nikidehaghani is an expert in the relationship between accounting and public policies. She is a Lecturer in the School of Business. Dr Nikidehaghani is particularly interested in accounting and social welfare.

World AIDS Day – 1 December

Associate Professor Catherine Mac Phail can talk about World AIDS Day on Thursday 1 December. Earlier this year she co-edited a book about the emerging issue of ageing with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr MacPhail, from the School of Health and Society, has published extensively on HIV prevention, examining the health of adolescents in both South Africa and Australia. She has a particular passion for and interest in the social determinants of health, focusing specifically on the impacts of gender, poverty and education.

UOW academics exercise academic freedom by providing expert commentary, opinion and analysis on a range of ongoing social issues and current affairs. This expert commentary reflects the views of those individual academics and does not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the University of Wollongong.