The Home Insulation Program: An Example of Australian Government Failure

The public concern surrounding the Australian Government Home Insulation Program (HIP) continues despite the abrupt termination of the program in the light of its deleterious safety consequences and fiscally wasteful management. This enduring unease has been reflected in a variety of official inquiries and reports including the Hawke Review (2010) , an inquiry by the Senate Environment, Communications and the Arts References Committee (2010), a performance audit by the Commonwealth Auditor‐General (2010) and two Departmental annual reports (DCCEE 2010; DEWHA 2010). Taking into account this body of evidence, we argue that the HIP represents an example of government failure, which, in turn, led to a range of unintended ‘human costs’ including the tragic deaths of four young installation workers. Moreover it is also argued that, in future, programs like the HIP are best administered by state/territory and local governments which are often best placed to deliver ‘on the ground’ services.     

儒学与传染病隔离的互动发展

儒学长期积淀于中国人的思想，生成了家本位的理念，客观上也促成了以家庭为单位隔离病人的方式。然而由于传染病的剧烈及其传染性，人们往往躲避甚至遗弃病人，违背了儒学宗旨；相反，也有人捍卫儒家精神而拒绝隔离，这二者都反映了隔离与儒学的冲突。随着时代的发展，隔离作为科学的的防治措施逐渐为世人接受，这与儒学与隔离之间的不断交融、渗透具有一定的联系。