Publicly-listed companies in Australia disclose little information about their political expenditure, with few disclosing lobbying spending or payments to trade associations

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.

The problems attached to over-use of consultants are becoming clearer. The experience in New South Wales accords with the national experience: dependency on consultants hollows out public sector capacity and leads to bad government decisions.

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 a sample of 1,501 Australians about their attitudes towards consultancies, donation reform, and who they trust to provide policy advice to the government. The results show that: Three in every four Australians (74%) support banning political donations from organisations that receive funding from government contracts, including 80% of Coalition voters, 70%

A submission made by the Australia Institute to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security on the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Prohibited Hate Symbols and Other Measures) Bill 2023.

The Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology made a submission to the Federal Government’s consultation on Safe and responsible AI (artificial intelligence) in Australia. To make AI safer and more responsible, the Australia Institute recommends:

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,002 Australians about their attitude toward the Federal Government providing new work to the consulting firm PwC. The results show that: • Four in five Australians (79%) think that PwC should be banned from receiving new government work, while just 2% think there should not be

Sitting politicians receive millions in public funding that support re-election.

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,002 Australians about their attitudes towards the Federal Government’s use of external consultants. The results show that: Four in five Australians (79%) agree that the public service should have the skills and capacity to do work currently outsourced to consultants. Three in four Australians (72%) think

The Australia Institute made a submission to the consultation on Administrative Review Reform.

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,002 Australians about their attitudes towards government secrecy and whistleblowing. The survey was developed in collaboration with the Human Rights Law Centre. The results show that: Three in four (76%) say whistleblowers make Australia a better place. An overwhelming majority of Australians (84%) support stronger legal

The over-use of consultancies has corroded Australian democracy. It hollows out public sector capacity and leads to bad government decisions.

The Australia Institute made a submission on the Criminal Code Amendment (Prohibition of Nazi Symbols) Bill 2023.

FOI decisions cost twice as much as they used to, three in 10 FOI decisions are late and, when reviewed, one in two turns out to be wrong. A review of Australia’s FOI system and culture is urgently needed.

Key Results The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Australians about how the Government should make appointments to government bodies. Two in three Australians (68%) think that the Government should be limited to appointing candidates who have been shortlisted by an independent selection panel, four times as many as think the Government

With deceptive advertising already affecting the Tasmanian political landscape, the case for truth in political advertising laws is strong. A recent publication in a Tasmanian newspaper has further highlighted the need to stamp out misleading political advertising. Almost nine in 10 Tasmanians say Tasmania should pass truth in political advertising laws. This paper addresses the

Last year, the Australia Institute’s analysis of Commonwealth grants programs between 2013 and 2021 (the term of the most recent Coalition Government) found a clear skew towards Coalition seats at the expense of Labor seats, particularly safe Labor seats.

This study, the largest and most comprehensive domestic study of the practice of cronyism in relation to appointments to a government agency ever conducted, finds there has been a sharp rise in the proportion of political appointments to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) during the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison administration.

The Tasmanian Government’s attempt to restrict citizens’ right to protest with the Police Offences Amendment (Workplace Protection) Bill 2022 is unnecessary and anti-democratic.

Last year, the Morrison Government spent $145.3 million on campaign advertising, a sum that exceeds the normal annual advertising spend of companies like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Amazon, Pepsi and Qantas.

Tasmania hosts some of the highest marine diversity and endemism on Earth, world’s best practice expertise in marine science and governance, and punches above its weight in economic contributions, thanks to our ocean.

The 43rd Parliament of Australia, which was the first minority parliament since 1940, was a time of renewed interest in parliamentary reform to enhance our democratic accountability and processes. With the potential for the 2022 federal election to grow the crossbench or result in another hung parliament, what further reforms could be on the horizon?

In September 2021, the multi-party Electoral Matters Committee of the Parliament of Victoria released an extensive report, the findings of its inquiry into the impact of social media on elections and electoral administration. The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 600 Victorians with questions about truth in politics and social media in Victoria, based

Key results The Australia Institute surveyed nationally representative samples of 1,000 Australians for their views on the Australian Senate, and the principle of proportional representation. The results show that: Respondents were asked whether the Coalition Government has a majority in the Senate. Respondents are somewhat more likely to select the correct answer, that it does

The Australia Institute made a submission to the consultation process regarding Recommendation 14.1 of the NT Fracking Inquiry, “That prior to the granting of any further production approvals, the Government designs and implements a full cost-recovery system for the regulation of any onshore shale gas industry.”

$3.9 billion has been spent by grants programs with ministerial discretion since 2013. $2.8 billion, or 71%, has been allocated to projects in Coalition seats. Funding has clearly favoured marginal seats at the expense of safe Labor seats and, in some cases, safe Coalition seats. In per capita terms, marginal Coalition seats have received $184

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,004 Australians about their views on whistleblowers and government secrecy. The survey was developed in collaboration with the Human Rights Law Centre. The results show: Seven in 10 Australians (71%) agree that whistleblower protections for public servants should be strengthened, including 34% who strongly agree. Three