From the hustings to harbour views : electoral institutions in New South Wales 1856-2006

'Easy to enrol, easy to vote' was the slogan devised by the New South Wales electoral office in the 1980s. How did this system evolve from a British based model to a distinctively Australian one?

Taxpayer beliefs and views : two new surveys

The importance of behavioural economics in supplementing and extending the neoclassical analysis of taxpayer behaviour has been recognised for some time. This paper summarises contributions to date and outlines a way forward for integrating the behavioural and neoclassical approaches and developing a more coherent strategy of encouraging taxpayer compliance.The paper then provides significant further evidence relating to taxpayer behaviour by reporting some of the main results of two substantial surveys (N =2,040 and 2,374) of Australian citizens' beliefs, attitudes, values and motivations with respect to the tax system, widely defined. It is concluded that the behaviour of Australian taxpayers is not determined only by considerations of narrow economic rationality based on the expected financial costs and benefits of compliance or non-compliance but is also influenced by a much wider range of factors. Examination of the importance of these other factors might be the most fruitful way of improving tax compliance in the future.

Australia's strengths and weaknesses in technology transfer and R&D exploitation : GEM survey "experts" views compared with public policy and other published data

There has been increasing public debate in Australia in recent years about research culture in universities and other publicly funded research agencies such as CSIRO and its impact on Australia's performance in generating economic, social and environmental benefits to the Australian community from the large amount of public funding for R&D. This is the supply side issue. On the demand side there is equally concern about the technology absorptive capacity of Australian. business as illustrated by the low proportion of gross business research expenditure (GERD) spent by business (BERD). Against this background, this paper has explored the views of abut 100 "experts" interviewed in the Australian Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) studies in the years 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 on the issues, strengths and weaknesses of Australia's technology transfer performance as it applies to new technology small firms. The paper has also explored evidence for any longitudinal change over this period.

Women's views and outcomes of an educational intervention designed to enhance psychosocial support for women during pregnancy

Background: Identification of psychosocial issues in pregnant women by screening is difficult because of the lack of accuracy of screening tools, women's reluctance to disclose sensitive issues, and health care practitioner's reluctance to ask. This paper evaluates if a health professional education program, a new (ANEW) approach, improves pregnant women's ratings of care and practitioner's listening skills and comfort to disclose psychosocial issues.

Methods: Midwives and doctors from Mercy Hospital for Women, Melbourne, Australia, were trained from August to December 2002. English-speaking women (< 20 wks' gestation) were recruited at their first visit and mailed a survey at 30 weeks (early 2002) before and after (2003) the ANEW educational intervention. Follow-up was by postal reminder at 2 weeks and telephone reminder 2 weeks later.

Results: Twenty-one midwives and 5 doctors were trained. Of the eligible women, 78.2 percent (584/747) participated in a pre-ANEW survey and 73.3 percent (481/657) in a post-ANEW survey. After ANEW, women were more likely to report that midwives asked questions that helped them to talk about psychosocial problems (OR 1.45, CI 1.09–1.98) and that they would feel comfortable to discuss a range of psychosocial issues if they were experiencing them (coping after birth for midwives [OR 1.51, CI 1.10–2.08] and feeling depressed [OR 1.49, 1.16–1.93]; and concerns relating to sex [OR 1.35, CI 1.03–1.77] or their relationships [OR 1.36, CI 1.00–1.85] for doctors).

Conclusions: The ANEW program evaluation suggests trends of better communication by health professionals for pregnant women and should be evaluated using rigorous methods in other settings.

Contentless thought : case study in the meaninglessness of all views

To defeat the heirs of the enlightenment with their own weapon i.e. reason itself. To reduce all philosophy all science all views to irrational meaningless babble using their own epistemic conditions of truth. To confound the products of reason by reason itself. To show that the rational in fact collapses into the irrational. By reason itself all products of human reason reduce to intellectual chaos. To shatter the categories of thought, to rob all views and ideas of any epistemic worth by using reason to show that they end in stultification foolishness, or absurdity. Reason confounds reason and convicts reason by it's own standard to unintelligibility, babble, stultification, incoherence foolishness and absurdity, or meaninglessness. Reasons critique of reason shows that there is no consistency in ally product of reason, no order , no coherence only chaos and absurdity, or meaninglessness. The life-jacket, or anchor reason gives in the void of meaninglessness is broken by reason itself. Into the void of nothing reason drops us. Cut adrift in meaninglessness we are free to acquire other insights other realizations by transcending reason. Meaning can be reduced to absurdity. Meaninglessness can be reduced to absurdity but for those who hold meaninglessness as a view, or meaning there is no hope.

Diabetes service provision : a qualitative study of the experiences and views of Pakistani and Indian patients with Type 2 diabetes

Aims To explore Pakistani and Indian patients' experiences of, and views about, diabetes services in order to inform the development of culturally sensitive services.

Design Qualitative, interview study involving 23 Pakistani and nine Indian patients with Type 2 diabetes recruited from general practices and the local community in Edinburgh, Scotland. Data collection and analysis occurred concurrently and recruitment continued until no new themes emerged from the interviews.

Results Respondents expressed gratitude for the availability of free diabetes services in Britain, as they were used to having to pay to access health care on the Indian subcontinent. Most looked to services for the prompt detection and treatment of complications, rather than the provision of advice about managing their condition. As respondents attached importance to receiving physical examinations, they could be disappointed when these were not offered by health-care professionals. They disliked relying on interpreters and identified a need for bilingual professionals with whom they could discuss their diabetes care directly.

Conclusions Gratitude for free services in Britain may instil a sense of indebtedness which makes it difficult for Pakistanis and Indians to be critical of their diabetes care. Health-care professionals may need to describe their roles carefully, and explain how different diabetes services fit together, to avoid Pakistani and Indian patients perceiving treatment as unsatisfactory. Whilst linkworker schemes may meet patients' need to receive culturally sensitive information in their first language, work is needed to assess their effectiveness and sustainability.

Exploring barriers to uptake of breast cancer screening in South East London : a study of women's views.

Research on both sides of the Atlantic demonstrates that achieving high uptake of breast cancer screening remains an important area of public heath concern. UK government targets for breast screening uptake are 70%, however, much lower figures are found in many parts of the country, including South East London. This paper reports the findings of a study carried out to explore the views of women aged 50 to 64 (the age group covered by the free National Health Service screening programme) in order to: · establish in what way women who do not attend for screening are different from women who do attend · ascertain the views of the non-attenders with a view to making recommendations to the service which may help address the low uptake locally.

305 women were recruited through a variety of different community sources across the study area. Using a structured questionnaire/interview, women gave their views on their health concerns generally, as well as on breast screening in particular. The analysis (being undertaken now, to be completed by May 2005) will explore the influence of candidacy (women's assessment of the personal risk to them of their disease) on women's screening behaviour and the differences, if any, between the major ethnic groups in the area, indigenous white, black African and black Caribbean.

Learning Objectives:
# At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to

* 1. Describe the factors associated with women’s screening behaviour
* 2. Evaluate the relevance of candidacy in understanding screening behaviour
* 3. Assess the relevance of UK findings for screening programmes elsewhere.

Does every child know they matter? : Pupil's views of one alternative to exclusion

Schools are now urged to make every child matter. In this paper we present the case of the Coalfields Alternatives to Exclusion (CATE) strategy in which pupils at risk of permanent exclusion are offered the opportunity to start afresh in a new school. Without the stigma of exclusion, pupils are able to develop new relationships with peers and teachers and enhance self-esteem. We argue that this system of managed moves, despite some difficulties and challenges, offers an insight into the ways in which feelings of mattering can be translated into new behaviours and intentions. This we suggest provides pupils with a positive opportunity to resume their education and to be genuinely included in the life of their new school.

Sewage disposal and ocean pollution : contradictory world views as a theme in policy change

Explores the process of state policy making in the area of sewage disposal and pollution management. Argues that contradictory world views form the milieu of understanding through which environmental policy is shaped. The dynamic tension between two contradictory views is explained mainly through events within two regional water authorities in Victoria during the 1980s.. The analysis suggests that a process of incremental change in the shaping of environmental policy is taking place.

Seeking the views of health professionals on translating chronic disease self-management models into practice

Abstract
Few studies have investigated the views of health professionals with respect to their use of chronic disease self-management (CDSM) in the workplace.
Objective
This qualitative study, conducted in an Australian health care setting, examined health professional's formal self-management (SM) training and their views and experiences on the use of SM techniques when working with people living with a chronic illness.
Methods
Purposive sample of 31 health care professionals from a range of service types participated in semi-structured interviews.
Results
The majority of participants (65%) had received no formal training in SM techniques. Participants reported a preference for an eclectic approach to SM, relying primarily on five elements: collaborative care, self-responsibility, client's individual situation, structured support and linking with community agencies. Problems with CDSM centred on medication management, complex measuring devices and limited efficacy with some patient groups.
Conclusion
This study provides valuable information with respect to the use of CDSM within the workplace from the unique perspective of a range of healthcare providers within an Australian health care setting.
Practice implications
Training implications, with respect to CDSM and patient care, are discussed, together with how these findings contribute to the debate concerning how SM principles are translated into healthcare settings.

Detecting and treating depression in people with mild intellectual disability : the views of key stakeholders

There is a pressing need for the development of programs for the early identification and treatment of depression in individuals with mild intellectual disability. The aim of this study was to ascertain the perspective of 64 key stakeholders (people with intellectual disability, healthcare professionals, family/caregivers & support workers) regarding the risk factors and characteristics of depression, the support and service needs of individuals with intellectual disability/depression and those who care for them. Findings enhance our understanding of depression and its risk factors in people with mild intellectual disability and endorse the need for the development of screening and intervention programs suitable for delivery by staff in agencies providing services to people with mild intellectual disability.