NGOs out in the cold: The Howard Government policy towards NGOs    (published: 6/2006)	posted: 15/06/2006
Author(s): Joan Staples (University of New South Wales) Category: NGOs/participation; - Audit paper download In a new Audit discussion paper, Joan Staples (UNSW) attacks the Federal Government’s policies towards NGOs as undermining the democratic process. She argues that the Government has been inspired by public choice perspectives in its attempts to limit the advocacy role of NGOs.

Quid pro quo needed for Western Australian electoral funding    (published: 6/2006)

posted: 15/06/2006

Author(s): Andrew Murray (Democrats Senator for Western Australia) Category: - Audit paper; Political Finance/Govt Advertising; Accountability download With public funding of political parties proposed in Western Australia, Senator Andrew Murray (Democrats) argues, in this Audit discussion paper, that a quid pro quo is required in the form of higher standards of governance, transparency, and accountability, from the parties that receive it.

The English local government elections of May 2006    (published: 5/2006)

posted: 26/05/2006

Author(s): James Jupp (Centre for Immigration and Cultural Studies, Australian National University) Category: - Audit paper; Electoral download James Jupp analyses the local government elections held on 4 May in England, which saw the Labour vote at 26 per cent fall below that of both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. There was a doubling of the seats held by the anti-immigration British National Party but also an increase in the number of Muslim Councillors.

The failure of Australian anti-corruption measures    (published: 5/2006)

posted: 26/05/2006

Author(s): Jürgen Kurtz (University of Melbourne Law School) Category: - Audit paper; Accountability download In the wake of the AWB bribery scandal, Jürgen Kurtz reviews Australia’s commitment to combating bribery of foreign officials. Despite ratifying the OECD’s anti-bribery convention in 1999 and passing its own anti-bribery legislation in 1999, Australia has yet to establish proper implementation machinery or to charge any companies or individuals.

Watchdog independence compromised?    (published: 5/2006)

posted: 16/05/2006

Author(s): Peter van Onselen (Edith Cowan University) Category: Accountability; Public service/statutory bodies; - Audit paper download In this new Audit discussion paper, Peter Van Onselen (Edith Cowan University) considers the implications of the WA government's decision to downgrade several independent watchdog posts. The decision, affecting the Electoral Commissioner, the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards, and the Information Commissioner, has obvious implications for the standing of these posts within the public service and for the ability to recruit candidates of the highest calibre to them in the future. But the role of the WA government in the decision also raises serious questions about the independence of these watchdog bodies, responsible to parliament, from the government departments that they are supposed to scrutinise.

UK Freedom of Information Act    (published: 1/2005)

posted: 1/05/2006

Author(s): Category: Accountability; Rights http link The United Kingdom's Freedom of Information Act 2000 came into force at the beginning of 2005 and introduced a statutory right to official information for the first time. But access to government-held information is restricted by the FOI Act’s numerous exemptions. Twenty-three sections of the FOI Act specify 36 individual exceptions to the disclosure rule, some more stringent (or “absolute”) than others.

Political 'hitmen'    (published: 4/2006)

posted: 24/04/2006

Author(s): James Walter (Monash University) Category: Accountability; - Audit paper; Public service/statutory bodies download James Walter, Monash University, reviews how the role of ministerial advisors in Australia has evolved to their current status as 'political hitmen'. The lack of adequate accountability measures for ministerial advisers has contributed to the concentration of power in the government, the narrowing of the scope of policy advice, and the risk of a 'descent into groupthink and policy fiasco'.

Question time - A failing institution?    (published: 4/2006)

posted: 24/04/2006

Author(s): Parameswary Rasiah (University of Western Australia) Category: Parliament; Accountability; - Audit paper download Parameswary Rasiah, University of Western Australia, provides a damning critique of parliamentary question time. Analysing ministers' responses to questions on the Iraq conflict, she highlights how they evade answering properly unless questions come from their own side, concluding that question time fails as a means to hold government to account.

Enforcing party democracy    (published: 4/2006)	posted: 24/04/2006
Author(s): Anika Gauja (University of Sydney) Category: Parties/Independents; Accountability; - Audit paper download Anika Gauja, University of Sydney, considers the need for regulations requiring political parties to adopt internal democracy. Drawing on examples from abroad, she concludes that, in spite of objections, the arguments for requiring greater intra-party democracy are compelling.

The South Australian election: Implications for democracy in the festival state    (published: 4/2006)

posted: 11/04/2006

Author(s): Geoff Anderson (Flinders University), Haydon Manning (Flinders University) Category: Electoral download In this paper for the Audit, Geoff Anderson and Haydon Manning of Flinders University review the election and analyse the Rann government's commitment to abolishing the upper house and inclusion of non-Labor members in Cabinet. They also examine South Australia's unique electoral redistribution formula.

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