Question Time: Questionable questioning with few answers    (published: 11/2002)

posted: 14/11/2002

Author(s): Ken Coghill (Monash University) Category: Parliament; - Audit paper download Outrageous behaviour leading to 'sin-binning', accusatory statements masquerading as questions, replies that do not answer, attacks on political opponents claiming to be answers to questions: is it any wonder Question Time is questioned as an accountability mechanism? Democracy requires that Question Time be restored to its fundamental role in the scrutiny of Government through simple reforms that would transform the behaviour of Members and Ministers.

Federalists can be Democrats and Democrats ought to be Federalists: A response to Maddox.    (published: 1/2003)

posted: 1/01/2003

Author(s): Andrew Parkin (Flinders University) Category: Constitution/federalism; - Audit paper download In this response to Maddox's paper on 'Federalism and Democracy' (available below), Parkin points to a range of democratic attributes which, in his view, are likely to be enhanced by a federal system of government. He argues that these should be investigated as part of the Democratic Audit of Australia.

The normalisation of corporate contributions to political parties: A threat to democracy    (published: 1/2003)

posted: 24/01/2003

Author(s): Joo-Cheong Tham (University of Melbourne) Category: Political Finance/Govt Advertising; - Audit paper; Incumbency benefits download Joo-Cheong Tham argues that recent government proposals to increase the threshold for disclosing the identity of political donors, and to raise the ceiling for tax-deductibility, are fraught with problems. The proposals would advantage wealthy political donors and further increase their political access vis à vis the less well off, hence reducing political equality. Further, raising the disclosure threshold would increase the level of secrecy and the potential for corruption and undue influence.

Audit news: Citizens not disengaged    (published: 4/2003)	posted: 1/04/2003
Author(s): Pat Seyd (University of Sheffield) Category: - Breaking news/external links; NGOs/participation; Public opinion download Professor Pat Seyd, member of the International Advisory Committee of the Democratic Audit of Australia, finds that citizens are not as disengaged as has been assumed. See also this version.

Ghosts of the civil dead: Prisoner disenfranchisement    (published: 5/2003)

posted: 9/05/2003

Author(s): Graeme Orr (Griffith University) Category: Felon disenfranchisement; Electoral; - Audit paper download One significant group of Australian citizens is in large part excluded from voting. They are persons under sentence of imprisonment. The paper questions the various grounds advanced for this exclusion. It notes the recent decision by the Supreme Court of Canada to overturn prisoner disenfranchisement but concludes that prospects for reform in Australia are limited. See other papers on felon disenfranchisement

Compulsory Voting    (published: 6/2003)

posted: 4/06/2003

Author(s): Lisa Hill (University of Adelaide) Category: Electoral; - Audit paper; Public opinion download Australia's system of compulsory voting enjoys high levels of community acceptance but has its critics. This paper argues that compulsory voting serves the value of equality of political opportunity as well as maintaining high voter turnout. It ensures that voting is not confined to the more prosperous members of society and preserves political community as well as acting as a buffer against social isolation.

Lessons from the Hollingworth affair    (published: 6/2003)	posted: 17/06/2003
Author(s): George Winterton (University of New South Wales) Category: Constitution/federalism; Accountability; - Audit paper download The Affair has, this paper argues, crystallized what had for some time been immanent, but perhaps not obvious: the public's sense of ownership and demand for accountability of this once obscure and remote, but now prominent, public office.

Reform of the Senate    (published: 7/2003)

posted: 9/07/2003

Author(s): Harry Evans (Clerk of the Senate) Category: Parliament; Accountability; - Audit paper download Harry Evans comments on the Prime Minister's recent proposals to 'reform' the Senate. He notes that the proposals aim at ensuring Government legislation is passed and rejects claims that the Government has a mandate to get its way. Attempts by the Labor Party to water down the Howard proposals are unsatisfactory. And the community is unlikely to agree to change.

ATSIC elections and democracy: administration, self-Identification, participation and representation    (published: 7/2003)

posted: 24/07/2003

Author(s): Will Sanders (Australian National University) Category: Electoral; Accountability; - Audit paper download Following a review of the five rounds of ATSIC elections Will Sanders concludes that, on grounds of electoral administration, participation and representation, ATSIC deserves support as a reasonably democratic attempt to develop an elected national Indigenous representative structure. ATSIC elections do seem to be fairly 'full, free and fair'.

Regulating election polls    (published: 8/2003)

posted: 29/08/2003

Author(s): Olof Petersson (Democratic Audit of Sweden) Category: Electoral; - Audit paper; Public opinion download Professor Petersson writes that the fear of undue influence on voters is the reason why many democracies have discussed and quite a few have decided to regulate the publication of election polls. Yet such action raises several difficult questions. Do polls really influence voting behaviour? Is a total or partial ban on election polls compatible with basic democratic principles such as the freedom of the press? And could a national embargo on the publication of polls really be effective in a world of Internet and global media?

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