The Governance of Britain    (published: 7/2007)	posted: 22/07/2007
Author(s): Philip Larkin (Australian National University) Category: Constitution/federalism; - Audit paper download As one of his first moves, the new British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has released a Green Paper, The Governance of Britain, to launch discussion of a wide range of constitutional reform. The Green Paper is available here. Phil Larkin provides an overview of the Green paper.

An upper house for Queensland?

posted: 13/02/2007

Author(s): Nicholas Aroney (University of Queensland), Scott Prasser (University of the Sunshine Coast) Category: - Audit paper; Constitution/federalism; Parliament download Nicholas Aroney (University of Queensland) and Scott Prasser (University of the Sunshine Coast) look at the debate surrounding the merits of restoring an upper house to the Queensland parliament. A second chamber could contribute to far greater executive scrutiny in Queensland, but much would depend on how a restored upper house was structured.

Trust matters: Politics, trust & the republican cause    (published: 12/2006)

posted: 18/12/2006

Author(s): Rebecca Huntley () Category: - Audit paper; Accountability; Constitution/federalism download Rebecca Huntley, author of The World According to Y: Inside the New Adult Generation, gave the 2006 National Republican lecture in Canberra on 29 November. Her lecture, ‘Trust matters: Politics, trust and the republican cause’ is issued as a discussion paper for the Democratic Audit of Australia.

Review of Limiting Democracy: the Erosion of Electoral Rights in Australia by Colin A. Hughes & Brian Costar    (published: 10/2006)	posted: 6/10/2006
Author(s): Marian Sawer (Australian National University) Category: Constitution/federalism; Political Finance/Govt Advertising; Electoral download

Let The chips fall where they may    (published: 3/2006)

posted: 8/03/2006

Author(s): Malcolm Mackerras (University of NSW & Australian Defence Force Academy) Category: Electoral; Electoral; Constitution/federalism download Malcolm Mackerras considers the best way to achieve the principle of 'one vote one value' in Australia and decides that it can only be achieved for the Territories by using the number of voters on the roll rather than population as the basis for distribution. This would give the ACT back its third seat and resolve the problem of the 2004 election when a vote in the Northern Territory was worth twice one in the ACT. It would be consistent with s122 of the Constitution, Mackerras believes.

The politics of nuclear waste in the Northern Territory    (published: 11/2005)

posted: 7/02/2006

Author(s): David Carment (Charles Darwin University) Category: Accountability; Constitution/federalism; - Audit paper download Professor David Carment reviews the controversy surrounding the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Bill which was introduced into the Federal Parliament on 13 October 2005 and which gives the Commonwealth Government the power to establish a nuclear waste dump on one of three sites in the NT. The Bill gives the Federal Government the power to override the united front provided by the NT’s Labour Government and Liberal opposition to the dump, as well as relevant Aboriginal heritage legislation and the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and it also gives the Minister significant discretionary powers allowing to do anything further ‘necessary or incidentally required’ to ensure the establishment of the dump and the transport of waste to it. However, he says opposition to the dump in the NT was overstated by its Government, and argues the focus on ‘Territory Rights’ was ‘quixotic’.

The draft Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005    (published: 11/2005)

posted: 1/11/2005

Author(s): James Jupp (Australian National University) Category: Constitution/federalism; Rights; - Audit paper download At the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting on 27 September 2005 draft anti-terrorism legislation drawn up by the Howard Government was provided by the Prime Minister on an 'in confidence' basis and agreed in principle by State Premiers and Territory Chief Ministers.

COAG and the limits of parliamentary scrutiny    (published: 10/2005)

posted: 1/10/2005

Author(s): Linda Botterill (Australian Defence Force Academy) Category: Constitution/federalism; Accountability; - Audit paper download Linda Botterill examines the role of Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in the wake of the controversy over ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope’s publication of the Draft Anti-Terrorism Bill. She shows how the issue is a symptom of the way in which decision-making is becoming increasingly centralised through COAG and Premiers and Chief Ministers are committing their governments to action without first exposing policy to parliamentary scrutiny and debate.

Making voters’ voices’ heard? Citizens’ initiated referendums in New Zealand    (published: 10/2004)	posted: 24/10/2004
Author(s): Elizabeth McLeay (Victoria University of Wellington) Category: Constitution/federalism; Accountability; - Audit paper      (pages: 6)   download Drawing on the recent experiences of New Zealand, Elizabeth McLeay of Victoria University of Wellington discusses the success, or otherwise, of Citizens’ Initiated Referendums in New Zealand.

For and against a bill of rights    (published: 4/2004)	posted: 1/04/2004
Author(s): George Williams (University of New South Wales) Category: Rights; Constitution/federalism; - Audit paper download There are strong arguments for and against a Bill of Rights (either statutory or constitutional) for Australia. These have been set out by people such as Peter Bailey, Justice Michael Kirby and Michael Zander. Their main arguments are summarised.

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