Two and a half thousand years ago, Lord Buddha said that the greatest thing in the world is to give health, but the greatest of all great things is to give spiritual health. Today I think this saying has to be reversed, and to give physical and mental health is the greatest service to the world, because without these, spiritual health cannot come. There is a very good definition in the Kathopanishad that the body is a chariot, the organs of action and perception are the horses, the intelligence is the rein and the one who holds the intelligence is the rider. If there is a disturbance in the chariot, then the charioteer cannot control the horses. If the charioteer is skilful, but his chariot is not good, then his skill has no value at all. And it is said that the chariot, which is the body, and the horses, which are the senses, are controlled by the intelligence, the rein. Then the dweller in the body and the dwelling place, the body, both can realise the soul, which is as small as the head of a pin and as vast as the universe.

B.K.S. Iyengar, London, 1984

Latest Papers

The working papers collection comprises historical papers as well as current ideas and works in progress on some of the major issues and topics of our times.

Polity, Capability, Culture (released 26 May 2007)
The story of how Canberra and citizenship under-developed Indigenous Australia - an essential handbook on the past and future of Indigenous affairs. 112 pages
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Governing NSW - Executive Summary & Overview (released 23 March 2007)
The first performance analysis of the NSW government and Opposition by portfolio. Prepared in the lead up to the March 2007 NSW election, this analysis evaluates Ministers and Shadow Ministers by their performance in parliament, in the media, as statespeople, as managers, visionaries and as policy makers. The highest rating obtained by a politician in this analysis was obtained by Liberal Party Transport spokeswoman Gladys Berekjiklian. The success and interest generated by the analysis mean that a similar and more intensive exercise will be carried out for the 2007 Federal election and other State elections.
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Governing NSW - Housing (released 23 March 2007)
Cheri Burton spoke only 19 times in the parliament, in contrast Mr Pearce was on his feet over 76 times.
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Governing NSW - Local Government (released 23 March 2007)
John Turner worked hard in the parliament and pipped Kerry Hickey.
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Governing NSW - Gaming & Racing & Central Coast (released 23 March 2007)
Grant Mc Bride, George Souris and Chris Hartcher had an even battle in gaming and racing and Central Coast portfolios.
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Governing NSW - Water Utilities, Small Business, Regional Development, Illawarra (released 23 March 2007)
Labor and Liberal National party Ministers and Shadow Ministers were evenly matched in these portfolios.
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Governing NSW - Energy, Ports & Waterways (released 23 March 2007)
Joe Tripodi was simply no match for Peta Seaton, Andrew Stoner and Gladys Berejiklian
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Governing NSW - Fair Trading & Western Sydney (released 23 March 2007)
Despite her war wounds you couldn’t get a better Westie than Di Beamer who knows her way around the hard suburbs. She’s generally held her own and been effective at repelling some of the Opposition leader's more fanciful attempts to win votes in the West.
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Governing NSW - Roads (released 23 March 2007)
In a clear area of major weakness for the government, Stoner has had some major hits. It was Stoner who said of the ALP in May 2006 "The origins of this once-proud party were in the bush, the Labor Party is now a city-dominated party whose frontbench looks like the cast of The Sopranos..” The Sopranos tag has stuck.
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Governing NSW - Justice, Juvenile Justice, Emergency Services, Land & Rural Affairs (released 23 March 2007)
In the Justice portfolio, Labor’s Tony Kelly and the Liberal National Party’s Greg Aplin were equally matched. In Juvenile Justice the youth criminalisation policy of the Liberal National party is not a credible way of dealing with youth crime. In Emergency Services and Land and Rural Affairs the major parties were on level peggings.
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