Does politics let down the people?

While Australians remain strong supporters of democracy, criticisms of the political system which delivers and administers it continue to mount, so what are the problems and what can be done to solve them?

Voices off

The failure of the Voice campaign has set back the cause of indigenous representation, rather than advanced it, and by blaming anyone but themselves for their failure, Voice advocates risk repeating the same mistakes in the future.

No, thanks

In a major setback for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Australian voters have overwhelmingly rejected the proposal to inject racial preference into the constitution, with every state and the Northern Territory voting no by a decisive margin.

Albo’s folly?

In the glow of his triumphant election victory, Anthony Albanese gambled on enshrining an indigenous Voice to Parliament within the constitution, rather than legislating such a body or listening to existing groups. As with other referendums before him, that decision now looks like a mistake.

The Yes campaign goes down in flames

A barnstorming speech by Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, the leading Indigenous woman of the “no” campaign, at the National Press Club capped another disastrous week for the Yes campaign, which now seems unlikely to carry a single state in October’s referendum.

Will the vote for the Voice unite or divide us?

The stakes in October’s referendum are high for politicians on both sides of the fence, not least Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton, and the country as a whole.

A very different nation

The Australia of the 2060s will be very different from the one we know today, according to the latest Intergenerational Report issued by the Federal Government.

Measuring what matters

Australia’s first national “wellbeing framework”, to be released by Treasurer Jim Chalmers within weeks, will provide about 50 indicators of how Australians are doing, that will then be tracked over time.

PWC down the WC

The outrageous conduct of PwC should consign the firm to the international dustbin, reduce the use of expensive consultants in core government roles and provide an early test case for the power and reach of the national anti-corruption body.

A budget for Labor’s battlers

A big incentive for doctors to bulk bill, a modest $40 a fortnight rise in JobSeeker and extra rent assistance are highlights of a Labor budget that juggles targeted cost-of-living relief with containing inflation.

Budget politics

The economic backdrop for the May 9 budget is grim, although when it comes to the budget itself, things are probably not as dire as the Federal Treasurer sometimes paints them.

Is there any way back for the Liberals?

Peter Dutton and his demoralised team, shocked beyond belief by their Aston drubbing, say the party has to “rebuild” but there are no obvious foundation stones for this mammoth task.