Democracy & Accountability

Reining in consultancy spending

by Bill Browne

The government spends over a billion dollars a year on consulting firms. Continue reading →

Underfunded accountability institutions

by Elizabeth Morison

Integrity issues remain at the forefront of national political discussions. Continue reading →

Voice to Parliament

by Benjamin Walters

In 2023, Australians will decide whether to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution at the nation’s first referendum since 1999. The Voice would empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by providing a representative body to give advice on laws and policies that affect Indigenous communities. Continue reading →

Funding certainty for our public broadcasters and a boost for newswires

by Anna Chang

In good news for Australia’s public broadcasters, the government has made good on its election promise to commit to five-year funding cycles for the ABC and SBS. Continue reading →

The $3.2 billion of spending we can only guess at

by Tony Shields

Budget papers are supposed to give the public the opportunity to see where money is being raised and how it is spent. The objective of the Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998 is to facilitate ‘public scrutiny of fiscal policy and performance’. Continue reading →

Funding boost for our national cultural institutions

by Bill Browne

Overdue funding boost for ailing national cultural institutions like the National Library, National Gallery and National Archives. Continue reading →