Stating the Obvious? The case for integrated public policy

It is hoped that the findings of this work will stimulate major political parties to embrace an approach to policymaking that fully integrates the economic, social and environmental objectives of our community.

About the Authors

Paul Shepanski

Paul is Executive Director of Relationships Forum Australia. He has 18 years of international senior management experience. From 1987 to 1999, he worked with The Boston Consulting Group where his clients included some of the region's most significant consumer businesses, including leaders in the areas of retailing, banking, telecommunications and travel. He served as the managing partner of BCG's Auckland office in 1997 and 1998. From 1999 to 2001, Paul served as Group General Manager e-Commerce for Qantas Airways.

Today, Paul lives in Sydney with his wife, Alison, and two daughters, Rebecca and Natasha. He is an executive director of an Internet-based travel business, Jetabroad, and works in his local community through his church. Paul also enjoys writing, playing and recording music.

Dr Michael Schluter

Michael is Chief Executive of Relationships Foundation based in Cambridge, UK. He trained as an economist before working as a research fellow with the International Food Policy Research Institute and a consultant for the World Bank in East Africa.

In 1982 Michael established the Jubilee Centre, a Christian think tank focusing on social and economic issues. In 1994, he launched Relationships Foundation, and through this has been instrumental in setting up two further charities, one to tackle urban unemployment (Citylife), and the other for high-level peace initiatives (Concordis International). He is co-author of The R Factor and The R Option and has contributed to numerous other books looking at social issues and public policy from a relational perspective.

John Ashcroft

John Ashcroft is Research Director of Relationships Foundation and specialises in public service reform. He leads the Foundation’s work on assessing and developing relationships, and on the development of relational thinking as a policy agenda. He has co-authored and contributed to several books including Relationships in the NHS (Royal Society of Medicine Press 2000), Trust in Experience (Radcliffe 2001), The Case for Inter-professional Collaboration (Blackwell 2005) and Jubilee Manifesto (IVP 2006).

Dr Bill Hurditch

Bill is Vice-Chairman of Relationships Forum Australia, and is a principal and director of The Fifth Estate, a Sydney-based consultancy firm. His business interests include strategic development and issues management for businesses in the natural resources and environmental services sectors. He acts in an advisory role for a number of major Australian companies. In 1990 and 1991, he was a visiting scientist at Oxford University where he taught ecology and resource management. He was Executive Director of the NSW Chamber of Mines from 1993 to 1995, and Executive Director of the NSW Forest Products Association for the 10 years prior to that.

Bill is married with three young-adult children, and lives in Sydney.

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An Unexpected Tragedy: Evidence for the connection between working patterns and family breakdown in Australia

This report sets out to establish whether there is a link between changes in Australian working patterns and aspects of wellbeing associated with relationships, particularly those in families, but also including friendships and participation in the broader community.

It is intended that the findings of this work and the conclusions reached will provide valuable input to broader community debate about working time and patterns, and provide an analytical foundation for policy development.

About the Authors

Paul Shepanski

Paul has 18 years of international senior management experience. From 1987 to 1999, he worked with The Boston Consulting Group where his clients included some of the region's most significant consumer businesses, including leaders in the areas of retailing, banking, telecommunications and travel. He served as the managing partner of BCG's Auckland office in 1997 and 1998. From 1999 to 2001, Paul served as Group General Manager e-Commerce for Qantas Airways.

Today, Paul lives in Sydney with his wife, Alison, and two daughters, Rebecca and Natasha. He is an executive director of an Internet-based travel business, Jetabroad and devotes around half his time to working in his local community through his church. Paul also enjoys writing, playing and recording music.

Michael Diamond

Michael has ten years of international investment banking and strategy consulting experience. From 1994 to 2000, he worked in institutional equity research/sales for investment banks in Asia, where his clients included some of the region's largest funds managers. From 2001 to 2004, he worked with The Boston Consulting Group where his clients included some of the largest banking and financial services businesses in Australia.

Michael currently works as an independent strategy consultant, advising businesses and governments on strategy, business improvement and national policy. His clients span a variety of industries in Australia and Asia. When not working, he enjoys Australia's great outdoor lifestyle and sports, as well as spending time with his young family.

Michael is married to Andrea, and has two sons, Alexander and James.

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