Transparency only shouted from opposition benches: Patrick
Former Senator Rex Patrick is on a mission to make freedom of information reform “sexy”.
Making freedom of information “sexy” with Rex Patrick
Freedom of Information laws have helped the public uncover information governments would prefer to keep secret, but the system is failing.
The Cruelty Is The Point: Australia and the Politics of Empire
Watch Dr Emma Shortis’ address to ‘Night Falls In The Evening Lands: The Assange Epic’ at RMIT University, Melbourne, on 9th March 2024.
Incumbent NSW MPs enjoy $2 million in incumbency advantages, on top of head-start from the state’s political finance laws
Research from the Australia Institute demonstrates that the NSW electoral system’s donation caps, spending caps and public funding benefit established parties and incumbent MPs at the expense of new parties and independent candidates.
Extract | Bad Cop Bad Cop: Peter Dutton’s Strongman Politics
This is an extract of Lech Blaine’s Quarterly Essay, Bad Cop: Peter Dutton’s Strongman Politics, out now.
Cook By-Election: Landslide Support for Integrity Reform in Politics
An overwhelming majority of voters in the seat of Cook, the electorate of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, support truth in political advertising and a strong National Anti-Corruption Commission.
Monthly Ministerial Diary Disclosures Among Measures Proposed to Enhance Political Transparency
Ministerial diaries would be published monthly and access to Parliament House would be democratised under news recommendations from the Australia Institute.
Why minority government can be better for Australia
Prime ministers need to stop “waving their mandates around” and start negotiating in both houses of parliament if they want to pass more legislation, says Richard Denniss.
Labor’s pledge to depoliticise the public service is undermined by the government only hearing what it wants to hear on climate change
While last year’s robodebt royal commission exposed a shocking lack of ethics among senior ranks of the Australian public service, the systemic condition still largely seems to be regarded as an aberration.
Minority retort
The major parties claim that minority and coalition governments are chaotic and unworkable, but are they actually more effective?
Whether you tune in or not, journalism’s a public good that benefits us all
For three years, Meta and Google have paid hundreds of millions of dollars to Australian publishers in exchange for using news content.
March 2024
Tax the cloud to peg back techno-lords: Varoufakis
Big tech is kicking capitalism to the kerb, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis tells a sold-out crowd at the State Library of NSW in a special episode of Follow the Money.
The power of political leadership and evidence-based policy | Climate Integrity Summit Panel
What would an evidence-based response from the government to climate change look like? And how can we build integrity back into our democratic system? At the Climate Integrity Summit 2024, our first panel discussed the power of political leadership and evidence-based policy. Featuring: Bernie Fraser, Former Governor, Reserve Bank of Australia Dr Monique Ryan MP,
Tasmania’s fear of government debt is hurting the state
Tasmanians have been badly served by its government’s exaggerated fears about the condition of the state budget.
The end of capitalism with Yanis Varoufakis
Capitalism is dying, but not in the way you might think.
Albanese Government must properly safeguard the independence of new Administrative Review Tribunal
The Australia Institute will appear before the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs today to present evidence on cronyism in appointments to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and recommend improving the appointment process of its replacement, the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART).
Lines Drawn on Major Issues Facing the Tasmanian Electorate
Australia Institute polling research shows a majority of Tasmanian voters support action on integrity in politics, salmon farming, forestry, and housing affordability.
Five Highlights from Technofeudalism with Yanis Varoufakis
Visionary economist Yanis Varoufakis toured Australia in March as a guest of the Australia Institute, as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations in 2024.
National Press Club Address – Yanis Varoufakis
Yanis Varoufakis addressed the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday 13 March, 2024.
Tasmanian voters expect hung parliament, but unsure who can get the job done
A majority of Tasmanians (58%) believe the upcoming state election is most likely to produce a minority government, but the electorate remains unsure about who is best placed to work with the crossbench, according to new research from the Australia Institute.
Labor’s integrity pledge should be a priority in first 100 days of government
The Australia Institute welcomes Labor’s election pledge to bring integrity, transparency and accountability to Tasmanian politics and urges them to commit to delivering legislation within the first three months of government.
Robodebt, repeated? How government is failing the nation on climate
The ‘robodebt’ debacle was a shameful episode for the federal government, but was it an anomaly? Our guest today says the same behaviours that enabled robodebt have been playing out for decades in our climate policymaking and questions whether the government has appetite to implement its proposed integrity reforms. australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute Guest: Polly Hemming, Director,
New ABC chair inherits a battered and bruised broadcaster. Here are some ways to fix it
The Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Program welcomes Kim Williams as the new chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and hopes that his appointment cements the independence of the ABC Board appointment process.
Women still underrepresented in Australian parliaments
Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Australia Institute has crunched the data on women’s representation in Australian parliaments.
February 2024
The Push to Stop Pork Barrelling
Independent MP Helen Haines has introduced a bill to Parliament designed to prevent pork-barreling, where taxpayer money is allocated according to where it is needed to win votes, not where the public needs it most. This was recorded on Tuesday 27th February 2024 and things may have changed since recording. australiainstitute.org.au // @theausinstitute Guest: Bill Browne,
Victoria Should Consider Proactive Disclosure to Unclog FOI System
Victoria should consider proactive disclosure to unclog its increasingly congested FOI system, according to the Australia Institute’s submission to the inquiry into the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
Rex Patrick’s FOI Case Part of Broader Case for Urgent FOI Reform
Rex Patrick’s appeal regarding unreasonable delays in his freedom of information (FOI) reviews draws attention to Australia’s broken FOI system and the urgent need for reform and more resources, warns the Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Program.
Tasmanian State Election Announced
Tasmania is heading to an election – 14 months early. Tasmania is retuning the size of its lower house from 25 seats to 35 seats at this election and multiple polls have predicted the result will be a minority government, so this is shaping up be a particularly interesting contest. This was recorded on Tuesday
Labor Ahead in Dunkley, Stage 3 Changes a Winner with Voters
Labor leads the Liberal Party 52% to 48% in the Dunkley two-party preferred vote ahead of the crucial March 2 byelection, according to new research from the Australia Institute.
Six Australian Electoral Inventions to Be Proud Of
No modern democracy has shown greater readiness to experiment with various electoral methods than Australia.
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