The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,009 Australians about their attitudes to Australian whistleblowers. The survey was developed in collaboration with the Human Rights Law Centre and Whistleblower Justice Fund. The results show that: 86% of Australians support having stronger legal protections for Australian whistleblowers, including more than half (52%) who strongly

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,009 Australians about their awareness of reforms implemented by the Albanese Government and whether they support or oppose those same reforms.

The Democracy Agenda for the 48th Parliament identifies 10 major reforms that would improve parliamentary debate, government accountability and openness and the operation of integrity institutions. Three of the reforms would improve the deliberations of the 48th Parliament of Australia and make other reforms more achievable. These reforms could be agreed to at the beginning

Late last year, the Albanese Government introduced the Electoral Reform Bill, with plans to pass it into law less than two weeks after it became public. Negotiations with the Coalition collapsed, causing the bill to be delayed until the February 2025 sitting. The bill would increase public funding of political parties and candidates, introduce new

In June 2024, Premier Peter Malinauskas proposed the Electoral (Accountability and Integrity) Amendment Bill. He says it meets his election promise to ban political donations in South Australian elections. In November, a revised version of the bill was introduced to Parliament.

Key results The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 1,041 Queensland residents about whether they support 12 policies introduced by the Queensland Labor Government. The results show that: • Each of the 12 policies is supported by most Queenslanders. • The net effect of each of the 12 policies is to make Queenslanders more

The Democracy & Accountability Program has a significant body of work on voter engagement and participation in Australia and on the weaknesses in NSW’s political finance system that could undermine public confidence in democracy in the state.

The proposals highlighted in this submission provide prioritised measures that would make the use of public resources in parliamentary elections more democratic and ensure public money is better spent.

The cost of party and candidate campaigns in the 2022 South Australian election exceeded public funding by $3.3 million. The shortfall was covered with private funding, including political donations.

Australia’s electoral participation is relatively good, though there is significant room for improvement, including doing better to count the votes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and making citizenship more accessible for Australian residents.

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,014 Australians about whether they support public funding for political parties and candidates to run election campaigns and cover administrative costs. The results show that: Three in five (60%) Australians oppose public funding of political parties and candidates. Only one in four (27%) Australians support public

The Electoral Disclosure and Funding Amendment Bill 2024 seeks to address shortcomings of existing electoral laws; however, further amendments are required to adequately account for fairness for new political entrants, allow community voices to engage in elections, and strengthen regulation of corporates and industry bodies seeking to influence elections as third parties.

Parliaments exist to share power, and power sharing has been a feature of Australian parliaments for as long as they have existed: between different interest groups, different communities and different political movements; across the upper and lower houses; within parties (via factions); and between parties (including coalition agreements like those between the Liberals and the Nationals).

This discussion paper describes the evolution of key democratic reforms in Tasmania, principles for a healthy democracy, and details 16 reforms that Tasmanian parliamentarians
– Liberal, Labor, Independent and minor party – could pursue in the 51st Tasmanian Parliament.

NSW political donations laws are opaque; truth in political advertising laws are missing; and donation caps, spending caps and public funding overwhelmingly favour incumbents over new entrants.

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.

Australia Institute polling research shows a majority of Tasmanian voters support action on integrity in politics, salmon farming, forestry, and housing affordability.

uComms conducted a survey of 1174 residents across Tasmania on behalf of The Australia Institute during the evening of 04 – 05 March 24 using self-completed automated voice and SMS polling methodologies.

On behalf of The Australia Institute, uComms conducted a survey of 626 residents across the Federal Seat of Dunkley on behalf of The Australia Institute during the evenings of 5 and 6 February 2024 using self-completed automated voice and SMS polling methodologies.

Targeted reforms are needed to introduce transparency and diversity into federal political finance: disclosing political contributions in real time, publishing ministers’ diaries, stopping the very wealthy from dominating election spending, making public funding accessible to new entrants and restricting corporate cash-for-access payments.

New research from the Australia Institute finds Australians consider a wide range of government behaviours as corruption, including cronyism, political expenditure and hobbling or ignoring integrity watchdogs.

New research from the Australia Institute shows more than 60 per cent of ‘No’ voters are concerned about the misinformation and disinformation that circulated on social media during the referendum campaign, with more than 80 per cent of that cohort wanting to see truth in political advertising laws in place before the federal election, expected in 2025.

Truth in political advertising laws are recommended, supported, and overdue in Victoria.

In 2018, the Victorian Parliament made major changes to electoral law in the state, including introducing real-time disclosure of donation, banning foreign donations and limiting anonymous donations.

FOI is a crucial part of the beneficial information feedback loop between the government and the people. However, our FOI system is broken and cultural and legal changes are needed to fix it.

The Australia Institute surveyed Australians about the importance of governments keeping their election promises, finding three in five think it is more important to adapt economic policy to suit the current circumstances.

Constructive and non-partisan political finance reform could improve trust in politics and reduce the influence of vested interests.

But if political finance reform is done poorly, it could make Australian elections less fair, and conceal rather than expose the undue influence moneyed interests enjoy over our politicians and parties.

The Australia Institute made a submission to the inquiry into the administration of the referendum into an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

Polling in Mackellar reveals a majority of voters plan to vote for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the upcoming election. uComms were commissioned on behalf of the Australia Institute to poll in the seat of Mackellar between the 9th and the 13th of March 2023. Polling brief and sample size attached.

The Australia Institute welcomes the modernising of Australia’s referendum machinery ahead of the referendum to enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the Australian Constitution. To limit the impact of misinformation on the referendum debate, we recommend that the Parliament legislate truth in political advertising laws and stronger political contribution disclosures. The existing