Damaging democracy?    (published: 3/2006)

posted: 8/03/2006

Author(s): Marian Sawer (Australian National University) Category: Electoral; Rights; - Audit paper download Marian Sawer considers Government proposals for early closure of the roll in federal elections. Whilst the Government claims that such a measure is necessary to maintain electoral integrity, she suggests that evidence of fraud is anecdotal at best and is outweighed by effects on the comprehensiveness of the roll.

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.

Speaker impartiality: A response from the Clerk of the House    (published: 3/2006)

posted: 8/03/2006

Author(s): Ian Harris (Speaker of the House of Representatives) Category: Parliament; Parliament; - Audit paper download Clerk of the House of Representatives, Ian Harris, responds to a Democratic Audit discussion paper on the impartiality of the Speaker. Harris argues that Speaker David Hawker was procedurally correct in refusing to allow a question to be asked of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, De-Anne Kelly, about a letter she had written as a Parliamentary Secretary after her appointment as Minister. Only Ministers and not Parliamentary Secretaries are obliged to answer questions, even if they appear to be undertaking both roles simultaneously!

Government advertising: a parliamentary perspective    (published: 3/2006)

posted: 8/03/2006

Author(s): Harry Evans (Clerk of the Senate) Category: Political Finance/Govt Advertising; Incumbency benefits; - Audit paper download Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate, reviews the appropriations process as it relates to Government spending on advertising. He suggests that appropriations are made for ends that are specified only in the vaguest terms. Consequently, little limit is applied to the purposes on which the money may be spent.

Expansive franchise    (published: 3/2006)	posted: 8/03/2006
Author(s): Kate Sullivan (UK Electoral Commission) Category: Electoral; Rights; - Audit paper download Kate Sullivan of the UK Electoral Commission reviews who can vote in the UK and finds that the franchise is much more expansive in Britain than in Australia.

ALP's electoral reform claims have to be taken with a grain of salt	posted: 8/03/2006
Author(s): Gary Nairn (Special Minister of State) Category: Electoral; Rights; - Breaking news/external links download Gary Nairn, Special Minister for State, has defended the Government’s proposed reforms of the Commonwealth Electoral Act in a piece in The Canberra Times.

Nice work, if you can get it

posted: 11/03/2006

Author(s): Category: Accountability; - Breaking news/external links; Parliament http link Anne Davies, Damien Murphy and Elisabeth Sexton report in the SMH on the lack of codes for post-ministerial employment in Commonwealth and NSW jurisdictions. They describe a number of recent cases where Ministers have gone immediately into private sector jobs close to their ministerial portfolios, despite warnings from corruption bodies about the practice. Canada and the United Kingdom, and other Australian jurisdictions such as Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and the ACT, have recognised the problem and adopted such codes. In 2004 the Democratic Audit (Report No 3) recommended that codes governing post-separation employment of ministers be adopted in all Australian jurisdictions.

Political donations

posted: 11/03/2006

Author(s): Category: Political Finance/Govt Advertising; - Breaking news/external links http link The Australian Electoral Commission's latest political donations disclosures have generated a lot of comment. The single largest donation, $1,000,000 from Lord Ashcroft to the Liberals, was also the most controversial: Ashcroft is a former treasurer, and current Deputy Chairman of the British Conservative Party but also, controversially, holds dual nationality from Britain and the tax haven of Belize, for which he was the permanent representative at the UN. Concern was expressed in Britain about his role in politics there, given his continuing close relationship with a foreign government. Despite claims by the Liberals that Lord Ashcroft has a close affinity with Australia, it seems that he has no particular association with it beyond that of keen visitor. His contribution has naturally raised questions about the role of foreign donations to political parties in Australia. Crikey has carried a more detailed analysis of the disclosures, including a list of the largest ten donors to Labor and the Liberals: 10 Largest Donors to Liberals Lord Michael Ashcroft KCMG - $1,000,000.00 Inghams Enterprises Pty Ltd - $200,000.00 Pratt Holdings Pty Ltd - $200,000.00 Village Roadshow Limited - $200,000.00 Croissy Pty Limited - $175,000.00 ANZ Banking Group Ltd - $100,000.00 Mistral International Pty Ltd - $100,000.00 Walker Corporation Pty Ltd - $100,000.00 Wesfarmers Ltd - $100,000.00 JP Morgan Administrative Services Pty Ltd - $82,500.00 Total Receipts: $29,477,988.00 10 Largest Donors to Labor CFMEU Mining & Energy Division - $470,000.00 Shop Distributive & Allied Employees' Association - $300,000.00 CFMEU Construction & General Division, National Office - $200,000.00 Village Roadshow Limited - $200,000.00 Westfield Capital Corporation Ltd - $175,000.00 Canberra Tradesmen's Union Club - $120,000.00 AMWU - $100,000.00 Inghams Enterprises Pty Ltd - $100,000.00 Pratt Holdings Pty Ltd - $100,000.00 Network Ten Pty Limited - $75,000.00 Total receipts: $29,989,686.00 In The Age, Joo-Cheong Tham, of Melbourne University's Law School and the co-author of the Democratic Audit of Australia's forthcoming report on Political Finance, criticises the role of corporate funding of political parties. He argues that at both State and Federal level, the parties are becoming dangerously reliant on corporate funding, and calls for tighter regulations around disclosure. In the Sydney Morning Herald , Elisabeth Sexton argues that, in spite of the deluge of information from the AEC, the disclosures are still opaque and important information can remain hidden.

It’s time? Reforming political financing in Australia	posted: 20/03/2006
Author(s): Peter van Onselen (Edith Cowan University) Category: Political Finance/Govt Advertising; Incumbency benefits; - Audit paper download Paper delivered by Peter van Onselen to the Audit's Political Finance Workshop held at the ANU on February 25 2006.

The regulation of election campaign financing in Canada and New Zealand	posted: 20/03/2006
Author(s): Andrew Geddis (University of Otago) Category: Political Finance/Govt Advertising; Incumbency benefits; - Audit paper download Paper delivered by Andrew Geddis to the Audit's Political Finance Workshop held at the ANU on February 25 2006.

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)