April 4, 2023

UOW expert commentary (4 April)

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

Interest rates

Dr Paul Mazzola is available for interviews about interest rates. Dr Mazzola is a Lecturer in banking and finance in the School of Business. He has more than 25 years’ banking and finance experience in the Australian, European and Asian Pacific markets. 

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Female cricketers to benefit from new pay deal

Dr Betty Frino can discuss Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association signing off on a new five-year memorandum of understanding, which will see the pay of female cricketers increase by almost 66 per cent, to a combined $133 million over the life of the agreement. Avid cricket lover Dr Frino is an expert in employment relations, pay equity and wage growth. She is a lecturer in the School of Business.

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Mexican migrant centre fire

Dr Luis Gómez Romero can discuss the devastating deaths of 39 Central American and Venezuelan migrants who died in a fire in a Mexican migrant detention facility last week. Dr Gómez Romero said this is a deadly outcome of the ‘Remain in Mexico’ program, implemented by the Trump administration and continued under President Biden. Dr Gómez Romero is a senior lecturer in the School of Law.

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Overhauling how the legal system deals with sexual offence trials

Professor Julia Quilter can discuss the extreme scrutiny and pressure complainants are routinely subjected to in rape and other sexual offence trials in Australian courts. In an article in The Good Weekend Professor Quilter said undermining and blaming complainants is still common. Professor Quilter is an expert in criminal law and justice. She is a professor in the School of Law.

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Medicare review

Social welfare expert Dr Mona Nikidehaghani can provide talk about the recent review into Medicare and calls to overhaul the system. Dr Nikidehaghani is an expert in the relationship between accounting and public policies. She is a Lecturer in the School of Business.

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Study subsidies to boost health workforce

Professor Victoria Traynor can provide commentary on the NSW government’s plans to commit $97 million in health study subsidies for students undertaking healthcare degrees. While Professor Traynor welcomes the announcement, she says there are other pressing issues that need to be addressed including the wages of current staff in the sector. Professor Traynor is from the School of Nursing.

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Aston by-election

Professor Greg Melleuish is an election analyst who can discuss the Aston by-election result and what this means for the Liberal Party. He is a lecturer and researcher with expertise in political theory, Australian politics, ancient history and world history. Professor Melleuish is from the School of Humanities and Social Inquiry.

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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.