The Youth Electoral Study (YES)    (published: 12/2005)

posted: 1/12/2005

Author(s): Kathy Edwards (University of Sydney), Murray Print (University of Sydney), Lawrence Saha (Australian National University) Category: - Breaking news/external links; Electoral; Public opinion download Kathy Edwards, Lawrence Saha and Murray Print introduce the YES Project, which examines the attitudes of young Australians towards politics, democracy and voting. This report for the Democratic Audit of Australia discusses features of the democratic process that discourages young Australians from participating, as well as the ways that they do participate.

Against compulsory voting	posted: 1/12/2005
Author(s): Category: Electoral; - Breaking news/external links http link In this paper, Derek Chung, Sinclair Davidson, and Tim Fry provide a critique of the arguments in favour of compulsory voting.

Senate Committee criticises government advertising

posted: 1/12/2005

Author(s): Category: Political Finance/Govt Advertising; Incumbency benefits; - Breaking news/external links http link The Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee published its report on Government Advertising and Accountability on 6 December 2005. The Committee found that expenditure on Government advertising has climbed steadily since 1991/92. Furthermore, the official figure of $126.75 million excludes significant areas of related expenditure and so is a serious underestimate of the total cost. The WorkChoices campaign was singled out for particular criticism on the grounds that it was merely pre-legislative propaganda, designed to circumvent proper scrutiny of the proposed legislation. Amongst the Committee’s recommendations were the strengthening the disclosure requirements, and requiring the Auditor-General to provide independent scrutiny of compliance with regulations. Link has the full report.

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’.

Whistleblowers - and governments - need more protection    (published: 2/2006)	posted: 9/02/2006
Author(s): David Solomon (University of Queensland) Category: Accountability; Rights; - Audit paper download In a new paper for the Audit, Dr David Solomon, Adjunct Professor of Politics at the University of Queensland, looks at the law protecting whistleblowing, arguing that more protection is needed.

The 2006 Canadian general election    (published: 2/2006)

posted: 9/02/2006

Author(s): Bill Cross (Carleton University) Category: Electoral; - Audit paper download Bill Cross, Director of the Democratic Audit of Canada, analyses Canada's federal election. The Conservative Party victory (on 23 January 2006) followed the 'sponsorship scandal' which engulfed the Liberal government. The first-past-the-post system continues to deliver controversial results - the New Democrats won 18 per cent of the vote but only 10 per cent of the seats, the Greens won almost 5 per cent of the vote but no seats, the Liberals won no seats in Alberta despite winning 15 per cent of the vote and the Conservatives were shut out of the major cities despite winning 25 per cent of the vote in Toronto. The new minority Conservative government will be dependent on votes from either the Bloc Québécois or the Liberals to prop it up, so it could be as short-lived as the last Liberal government.

Blair defeated over religious hatred laws

posted: 10/02/2006

Author(s): Category: Rights; Media; - Breaking news/external links The British Government was defeated in its attempt to introduce laws on religious hatred. The laws were designed to tighten a loophole that protects against discrimination and abuse against racial minorities, and covers Sikhs and Jews, but not Muslims. However, there were concerns that the laws would make legitimate criticism of faith, including much satire, illegal. A high profile campaign, which included high profile comedians such as Rowan Atkinson was waged against it. Ultimately though, despite a significant backbench revolt, the bill was defeated due to a miscalculation by the Labour Party Whips Office, who had thought it unnecessary to bring back a by-election campaign team for the vote. Ironically, the Government was defeated on one of the votes by just one, after the Prime Minister missed it. The first defeat, by 288 votes to 278, was aimed at ensuring the new laws would not affect the current racial hatred laws. The second vote, which the government lost by 283 votes to 282, said the law should only criminalise 'threatening' behaviour, not things which were just 'abusive and insulting'. It also means people can only be prosecuted if they intend to stir up hatred - not if they are merely 'reckless'. (No link)

High Court appeal allowed in important FOI case

posted: 10/02/2006

Author(s): Category: Rights; - Breaking news/external links; Accountability http link On 3 February 2006 three judges of the High Court (Gummow, Kirby & Hayne JJ) granted special leave to appeal to the High Court against the majority decision of the Full Federal Court in McKinnon v Secretary, Department of Treasury (2005) 220 ALR 587. The FOI appeal has been financed by News Limited in conjunction with a number of other media organisations. The case concerns the powers of the Administrative Appeal Tribunal to review decisions when a minister has issued a conclusive certificate, claiming the release of documents would be contrary to the public interest.

Independent Candidate Advisory Network    (published: 2/2006)

posted: 28/02/2006

Author(s): Category: Parliament; - Breaking news/external links; Parties/Independents http link In October 2005, the three independents in the House of Representatives - Peter Andren, Tony Windsor and Bob Katter - founded the Independent Candidate Advisory Network (ICAN) to encourage and assist independents to get elected to state and federal parliaments. The website was launched this month. Among the ICAN website's features is an ' Independent's Tool-Box', a guide to everything from getting nominated to managing the campaign budget and handling the media. Two weeks ago, the organisation featured in a Senate Committee question from Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce to the Australian Electoral Commissioner.

Paradise postponed    (published: 3/2006)

posted: 6/03/2006

Author(s): Marian Sawer (Australian National University) Category: Parliament; Rights; - Audit paper download The Treasurer, Peter Costello, has called for Australia to create the most 'female-friendly environment in the world'. Marian Sawer finds, however, that Australia has just slid to its lowest place ever in the league table of women's representation in national parliaments and a major factor has been the Liberal Party's failure to preselect women.

Select Page(s): | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |     (list all records on one page)