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New Fangs for the Platy-tiger? Labor and the Senate    (published: 12/2008)
   posted: 17/12/2008
Author(s): Tony Smith (Swinburne University of Technology)
Category: - Audit paper; Accountability; Parliament
Tony Smith provides a concise overview of the main issues arising from the interaction of the government and the Senate over the past year in this new Audit discussion paper, New Fangs for the Platy-tiger? The Senate and the Rudd Government in 2008.

The Lobbying Code of Conduct: An Appraisal   
   posted: 15/04/2008
Author(s): John Warhurst (Australian National University)
Category: Accountability; Incumbency benefits; - Audit paper
The Cabinet Secretary, Senator John Faulkner, released an exposure draft of the proposed Lobbying Code of Conduct on 2 April 2008. In this Audit Discussion Paper John Warhurst assesses the proposal. While welcoming the code, he writes that in important respects "it is timid and narrow".

Time to introduce automatic enrolment in Australia   
   posted: 18/02/2008
Author(s): Peter Brent (Australian National University)
Category: - Audit paper; Electoral; Accountability
With the Rudd government looking at making changes to the Electoral Act, the Audit’s Peter Brent places automatic enrolment as a high priority. In this paper, he highlights the mass of database information which the Australian Electoral Commission has access to, but cannot efficiently use for updating the electoral roll. Peter calls for the AEC to be given the power to update the roll automatically – doing away with the need for citizens to fill out lengthy enrolment forms.

The Democratic Audit’s Electoral Reform Agenda   
   posted: 18/02/2008
Author(s): Peter Brent (Australian National University), Norm Kelly (Australian National University), Marian Sawer (Australian National University)
Category: Accountability; Electoral; Incumbency benefits
The election of a new government means an opportunity to fix some of the things that have been going wrong with Australia’s electoral system. Australia has been making it harder to enrol and vote, and easier for private money to influence electoral outcomes.

Removing partisan bias from Australian electoral legislation – An Audit discussion paper   
   posted: 31/01/2008
Author(s): Brendan McCaffrie (Australian National University)
Category: - Audit paper; Electoral; Accountability
The ANU’s Brendan McCaffrie discusses a way of removing partisan bias from the formulation of Australia’s electoral laws. His proposal for an Independent Electoral Law Committee seeks to remove the partisan influence of the major parties from electoral law-making. Although the major parties may be loath to give up this control, there are international precedents, as McCaffrie discusses.

Rolling out the regional pork barrel: A threat to democracy?   
   posted: 20/12/2007
Author(s): Geoff Cockfield (University of Southern Queensland), Scott Prasser (University of the Sunshine Coast)
Category: - Audit paper; Incumbency benefits; Accountability
Scott Prasser from the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Geoff Cockfield of the University of Southern Queensland analyse the Howard government’s Regional Partnerships Program, the subject of a recent Australian National Audit Office report. They discuss the democratic implications and question the political value of pork-barrelling.

Parliamentary sitting dates – 2008   
   posted: 20/12/2007
Author(s): Andrew Murray (Australian Democrats)
Category: Accountability; Parliament; Parties/Independents
The Rudd government has announced the federal parliamentary sitting dates for 2008. There is an increased number of sitting days for the House of Representatives, however the move to Friday sittings has not been extended to the Senate. Democrats' Accountability Spokesman Andrew Murray comments.

Whatever happened to frank and fearless? The systems of New Public Management and the ethos and behaviour of the Australian Public Service    (published: 10/2007)
   posted: 19/10/2007
Author(s): Kathy MacDermott (Former Group Manager, Evaluation Group, Australian Public Service Commission)
Category: - Audit paper; Public service/statutory bodies; Accountability
Kathy MacDermott, former head of evaluation for the Australian Public Service Commission, considers the tension between the public service’s role in providing ‘frank and fearless’ advice to government and its role in development and implementation of government policy.

Queensland burning: local government amalgamation & democratic practice in Queensland    (published: 9/2007)
   posted: 20/09/2007
Author(s): Scott Prasser (University of the Sunshine Coast)
Category: - Audit paper; Rights; Accountability
Scott Prasser (University of the Sunshine Coast) reviews the recent furore over forced amalgamation of local government in Queensland. Whilst there is agreement that some rationalisation of local government is needed, the process by which it has been conducted has been characterised by democratic deficit.

The need for transparency in lobbying    (published: 9/2007)
   posted: 20/09/2007
Author(s): Julian Fitzgerald (Parliamentary Press Gallery journalist, Clareville Press)
Category: - Audit paper; Accountability
Julian Fitzgerald considers the regulation of political lobbyists in this new Audit paper. He argues that a registration scheme would alleviate some of the problems that this burgeoning industry has brought.

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