PC News - August 2014
Newsletter of the Productivity Commission - formerly known as PC update.
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Productivity Commission News
Commission news focussing on new commissioned projects and this year's Richard Snape Lecture presented by Professor Joseph Stiglitz.
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Child care and early childhood learning: future options
A recent Commission draft report recommends an overhaul of existing funding arrangements for childcare and early childhood learning, including replacing the existing array of childcare subsidies with a single means- and activity-tested payment, which would also apply to appropriately qualified nannies.
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Reforming public infrastructure
The Commission has identified an urgent need to improve how public infrastructure projects are selected, funded, financed and delivered.
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Access to justice arrangements
A number of barriers prevent Australians from resolving civil disputes in a timely and affordable way. Wide ranging reforms recommended in a recent Commission draft report have the potential to improve both the visibility and accessibility of the various avenues available to people to resolve their disputes.
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Should the National Access regime be retained?
In its recent report on the National Access Regime, the Commission recommended that the Regime should be retained, and made a number of recommendations to improve its operation.
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Improving resource exploration in Australia
In a recent inquiry report, the Productivity Commission made a number of recommendations aimed at improving the regulatory environment for exploration activities.
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Costs of doing business - Retail trade and dairy product manufacturing
In recent interim reports, the Commission examined the costs of doing business in two Australian industries - retail trade and dairy product manufacturing.
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Tasmanian shipping and freight - how effective are current arrangements?
The Commission recommended a number of changes to existing subsidy schemes for Tasmanian shipping and freight in a recently released inquiry report.
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Literacy and numeracy skills and labour market outcomes
Literacy and numeracy skills are a core element of a person's human capital. They are important for a person's social and economic participation. A recent Staff Working Paper uses literacy and numeracy data from the PIAAC survey to examine how important these skills are for labour market outcomes.