The too hard basket
We often hear about new policies and programs that promise to improve the lives of Australians. But what about the issues that are too stigmatised, too taboo, too awkward for policymakers to address? In this new series, the 'Too Hard Basket', we dive deep into topics affecting Australians who often don't get a voice. There's shame, there's stigma, and there are swathes of secrecy, leaving these stories often untold.
Episodes
September 6, 2025 • 17 mins
Recently, local news headlines have been dominated by stories about anti-immigration rallies which were held across Australia on the last day of August. But it's not just in Australia where migration has created such deep feelings - it's also an issue that has been front and centre in the US as Donald Trump fulfils his election campaign promise to carry out mass deportations. There are now at least a million fewer immigrants in the...
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June 26, 2025 • 15 mins
All over the country, there are concerns about rising rates of youth crime. At the same time, advocates are concerned about the rate of incarceration for First Nations people, fearing some communities are being criminalised and over-policed. Advocates say Australia is not on track to meeting Closing the Gap targets on imprisonment - and in fact, things are only getting worse for young offenders. In this episode of the Too Hard Bask...
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March 15, 2025 • 11 mins
A new measles outbreak in the United States has raised questions about the rates of vaccination in the community, with implications for other parts of the world, including Australia.
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November 29, 2024 • 14 mins
There are more than 660,000 people with disabilities in the National Disability Insurance Scheme, a program meant to provide quality of life for its participants. But the scheme has undergone significant change, most recently legislation approved by Parliament in October 2024 limiting growth in the cost of the scheme to eight per cent a year. In this episode of the Too Hard Basket, we take a look at what's happened to the NDIS in t...
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October 3, 2024 • 13 mins
Australia's Parliament has approved new laws that govern the operation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Minister Bill Shorten has also published a list that outlines what NDIS funding can and cannot be spent on from now on. But disability advocates say all of this has been "rapidly" developed with next to no engagement with the sector - and it might not even solve the problems it's supposed to address. In this episode o...
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July 29, 2024 • 10 mins
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has long been the subject of debate and controversy. The current Labor government has been making moves to limit spending increases in the Scheme, and return it to what they say is its original purpose. As part of that process, NDIS Minister Bill Shorten has introduced legislation into Parliament to specifically exclude some services from the scheme - including sexual support services...
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April 18, 2024 • 13 mins
The so-called 'war on drugs' has been waged in the US since at least the 1970s, when then President Richard Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act and declared drug abuse as “public enemy number one.” In Australia, there have been similar efforts to battle drug trafficking and use. As prescription opioids overtake heroin as a public health emergency, those efforts have expanded to restrict the control and supply of those substa...
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April 17, 2024 • 13 mins
Most of us might be familiar with the term 'the war on drugs'. In the US, it's been waged since the 1970s, when then President Richard Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act and declared drug abuse as “public enemy number one.” In Australia, there have been similar efforts historically to battle drug trafficking and drug use. On today's episode of The Too Hard Basket, we look at how state and federal governments are now handlin...
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April 17, 2024 • 11 mins
Most of us might be familiar with the term 'the war on drugs'. In the US, it's been waged since the 1970s, when then President Richard Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act and declared drug abuse as “public enemy number one.” But today, it's not so much illicit drugs but prescription medication that the US is fighting, with deaths from prescription opioids reaching crisis levels. Authorities in Australia have been keen to avo...
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May 15, 2023 • 10 mins
In this episode of the Too Hard Basket, we'll look at aged care funding, and the money that's been set aside in the latest federal Budget to improve the wages of aged care workers. With Australia's population getting older, there's concern that the problems identified by the aged care royal commission still persist. We ask will this Budget be the game changer the sector needs?
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April 30, 2023 • 12 mins
In this episode, we'll look at sexual harassment and sexual assault on university campuses. We look at how prevalent these incidents are, and what can be done to change things.
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April 26, 2023 • 11 mins
In this episode, we look at the skyrocketing costs of renting a property in Australia, which almost everyone agrees has put a lot of people under immense pressure. So why do we have this issue? And what can be done to change the system?
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November 21, 2022 • 18 mins
What are the barriers to accessing appropriate and culturally safe sexual and reproductive health care for women from multicultural backgrounds? Most migrant and refugee women on temporary visas do not have access to Medicare coverage. This makes accessing essential services, such as pregnancy termination, an expensive and highly stressful experience. Even for those women who may have access to Medicare, many are forced to grapple ...
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November 14, 2022 • 17 mins
As a relatively new area of research, there's not a lot known about Gaming Addiction. But with technology now such a central component of our lives, what issues do Australians face when it comes to a healthy relationship with internet gaming, and what measures need to be put in place to ensure a safe future online?
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November 7, 2022 • 16 mins
With the National Disability Insurance Scheme not covering anyone who suffers a disabling injury over 65, many are left scrambling for funds to pay for the care they need. But whose responsiblity is it to ensure our elderly Australians have enough support? Where should the funds be coming from? And what shifts in policy are needed to ensure age is not a barrier to help?
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The Too Hard Basket - the effect of family violence on communities recovering from natural disasters
October 31, 2022 • 11 mins
When attention turns to rebuilding after fire, floods and drought, how do fears of other psychosocial and mental health problems become more prominent? And what needs to be done to make meaningful change?
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October 24, 2022 • 18 mins
This episode looks at the trauma confronting women in prison, with a particular focus on how these issues are exacerbated for First Nations women. The majority of incarcerated women have committed less serious crimes, and yet once they face prison they're far more likely to return. These same women are often the victims of abuse, intergenerational trauma and addiction, and can be re-traumatised by the prison setting.
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October 17, 2022 • 17 mins
For those who have spent time incarcerated, life post-release can be challenging and, often burdened with debts and with no income and few savings, it can be difficult not to fall back into criminal activity. So what can be done to ensure those who spend time in prison are better equipped with the financial tools and literacy to help rebuild their lives permanently away from the prison system?
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October 10, 2022 • 16 mins
In this episode of the Too Hard Basket series we dive into the topic of First Nations people's identification, and how it can limit their access to tens of thousands of dollars of their own money. With multiple birth dates and given names, the gap in financial literacy, and kinship structures not recognised in Western culture, First Nations people face barriers in accessing their own finances. So what can be done to make meaningful...
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October 3, 2022 • 17 mins
In this episode of the Too Hard Basket series, we dive into the taboo topic of domestic violence and its impact on children's development. How can an exposure to domestic or family violence in the home impact a child's ability to learn and build positive relationships? And what needs to be done to make meaningful change?
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