Cori Bernardi, Apartheid and the Voice to Parliament

Allegations that the proposed Voice to Parliament is tantamount to apartheid are based on a deep ignorance of what apartheid was and what the effect of the Voice would be.

Defining indigeneity

How the courts define Indigeneity has profound implications for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in terms of the prospective Voice to Parliament, land rights and a range of other issues.

The death of George Pell and Australian conservatism

The reactions to the death of Cardinal George Pell highlight the overlap between conservative attitudes to religion, legal processes and constitutional reform.

Why we need a new constitution

In a book to be launched this week by John Hewson, Bede Harris argues that the Commonwealth constitution is so defective that we need an entirely new one.

How democratic are we?

So long as the electoral system remains unchanged, we are condemned to an eternal alternation in power between Labor and the Coalition. That is not a democracy, it is a duopoly, as Bede Harris points out. So what is to be done?

A vision for Australian democracy

Australians feel increasingly disenchanted with the political system. Bede Harris says change can only occur if Australians overcome their political apathy and aversion to constitutional change and take the initiative to demand electoral reform.

What are voters’ attitudes to constitutional change?

Australians have been asked what they think of a constitutional reform. Bede Harris says the survey indicates that voters are far more willing to consider reform than has previously been supposed.

Is a referendum on local government needed?

The need for a referendum to reference local government in the Australian Constitution is debatable according to Dr Bede Harris. The senior lecturer in Law at Charles Sturt University asks why more important constitutional issues are not being addressed.