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The State of the States 2002

By the Evatt Foundation

Background Information

The State of the States : now in its ninth year

The following is a background briefing on the Evatt Foundation's report: The State of the States 2002.

What is The State of the States?

The State of the States is produced as part of the Foundation's State of Australia series, which comprises reports and books on the performance and policies of Australia's governments. Each year a State Government League Table is published as part of the series in a report entitled The State of the States. The series commenced in 1994 and has published nine League Tables. Note that the report also contains extensive analysis and commentary on the League Table results.

What is the State Government League Table?

The State Government League Table ranks the State governments according to 15 social, environmental, and economic indicators. The idea is to assess the comparative performance of the governments in achieving the perfect balance: excellent social services, strong environmental protection and buoyant job-generating economic activity. Comparisons are based on data from the Commonwealth Grants Commission and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The League Table results are carefully analysed in the body of the report.

What are the Key Indicators?

SOCIAL

  • health
  • education
  • welfare
  • safety & emergencies
  • transport

ENVIRONMENTAL

  • national parks and wildlife
  • culture and recreation
  • sanitation and environment
  • Environmentally friendly products (availability)
  • Household water conservation

ECONOMIC

  • industry assistance
  • capital investment
  • full-time jobs
  • total jobs
  • production

Who produces the League Table?

The League Table is produced by the Evatt Foundation and the Public Sector Research Centre, both of which are located at the University of NSW.

The Evatt Foundation is the think tank of the Australian labour movement. It was founded in 1979 and named in honour of Dr Herbert Vere Evatt, one of the Australian labour movement's greatest statesmen.

The Public Sector Research Centre (PSRC) was established at the University of NSW in 1989 to undertake research and education on the public sector.

How do I get a copy of the full report?

The State of the States 2002 report (32 pages, and featuring another 5 tables and 18 graphs, which more precisely illustrate the range of State performances in different areas) is available from the Evatt Foundation and the Public Sector Research centre for $19.95. While the League Table is published on the Evatt Website, you can only get the detailed analysis and commentary on the results by purchasing the full report. Limited back issues of The State of the States are also available.

To order a copy of the full report you can contact the Evatt Foundation in the following ways:

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For more information

  • Report Author: Dr Christopher Sheil, (02) 9385 9252 (w) 0419 43 6052 (m)
  • Evatt Foundation: Fay Gervasoni, (02) 9385 2966 (w)
  • Evatt Foundation: Bruce Childs, (02) 9386 1240 (h)