Peter Andren: An independent way in Australian politics    (published: 8/2007)	posted: 29/08/2007
Author(s): Tim Payne (Former Chief of Staff to Peter Andren MP) Category: - Audit paper; Electoral; Parties/Independents download Following Independent MP Peter Andren’s announcement that cancer has forced him to withdraw from active politics, his former Chief of Staff Tim Payne reviews his parliamentary career.

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 download 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.

Not good news: Australia’s shrinking media freedoms    (published: 9/2007)	posted: 20/09/2007
Author(s): Norman Abjorensen (Australian National University) Category: - Audit paper; Media download The Audit’s Norman Abjorensen assesses the state of press freedom in Australia The paper is based on a chapter for the Audit’s forthcoming book, Australia: The State of Democracy which will be out next year.

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 download 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.

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 download 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.

Constitutionalising the franchise and the status quo: The High Court on prisoner voting rights    (published: 10/2007)	posted: 19/10/2007
Author(s): Graeme Orr (University of Queensland) Category: - Audit paper; Electoral; Rights download In the wake of the High Court’s decision on prisoner enfranchisement, Graeme Orr (University of Queensland) describes the issue of prisoner disenfranchisement as a continuing ‘political football’ in this new paper for the Audit.

The importance of boundaries    (published: 11/2007)

posted: 2/11/2007

Author(s): Colin Hughes (University of Queensland) Category: - Audit paper; Electoral; Parliament download Colin Hughes, former Federal Electoral Commissioner and Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Queensland, considers the issue of electorate boundary changes. The paper provides a comprehensive review of the 2006 redistributions in NSW and QL and summarises the history of redistributions in the two states. Hughes analyses the party political competition involved, even when the redistributions are carried out by independent electoral commissions.

Government advertising on industrial relations    (published: 11/2007)	posted: 2/11/2007
Author(s): Fred Argy (Australian National University) Category: - Audit paper; Incumbency benefits; Political Finance/Govt Advertising download Fred Argy, visiting fellow at ANU’s Crawford School, reviews the federal government’s publicly funded, multi-million dollar campaign to persuade the Australian electorate of the merits of the controversial WorkChoices policy.

Parliamentary sitting dates – 2008

posted: 20/12/2007

Author(s): Andrew Murray (Australian Democrats) Category: Accountability; Parliament; Parties/Independents download 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.

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 download 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.

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