The too hard basket

Hope and hate: how governments around the world are responding to 'illegal' immigration

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 US, raising questions about the impact of their absence on key industries like agriculture and construction. Migration is also a major concern in Europe, which has long grappled with what to do with the scores of people fleeing war and poverty in their home countries. This episode of the TOO HARD BASKET focuses on these complexities.

Jailing is failing: conference calls for re-think of youth crime crackdown

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 Basket, we take a look at recent law and order crackdowns - and their impact on First Nations young people.

Fears vaccine scepticism fuelling US measles outbreak could be contagious for Australia

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.

What does the future hold for the NDIS - and its participants?

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 the weeks since that bill was passed. For the federal government, the Scheme would not be sustainable without those changes - but advocates argue these cuts to the budget make little sense.

Disability advocates say NDIS reforms were developed without consultation

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 of the Too Hard Basket, we take a closer look at what the changes are, and why disability groups are so concerned.