Strengthening Australian democracy

The growing threats and challenges to Australia’s democracy are well outlined in a new government report, and now is the time for some action

Countering conspiracy theories

Trying to shut down the conspiracy theories poisoning current political and social discourse with laws and regulation isn’t working so it may be time to try something different.

Evaluating foreign aid

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade should conduct more long-term evaluations of projects to ensure the effectiveness of its foreign aid program.

CFMEU corruption is a problem for Labor

Channel Nine’s revelations of thuggery, kickbacks and the parachuting of senior bikie figures into lucrative union delegate roles on major Victorian construction projects has thrown the Construction Union into crisis.

Early warning alert

Dictators and hostile states from Hitler’s Germany to Putin’s Russia and Xi’s China tend to flag their actions long before the shooting starts, and a new national Centre to issue strategic warnings of all types could help Australia prepare.

Women in diplomacy

Australia has made remarkable strides in gender equality in diplomacy, achieving near parity in its Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. However, globally, women remain underrepresented in diplomacy, highlighting the need for continued efforts to address gender disparities and ensure equal representation worldwide.

PwCorruption

The PwC tax leaks scandal offered us an opportunity to ask hard questions about the shady role of major consulting firms in Government and the corrupt culture of big business that places profits above any sense of priority, but a year after the furore, what has really changed?

Does Australia need a human rights act?

Australia is the only Western democracy that doesn’t have a national Human Rights Act, but this may be about to change.

Second time around

Anthony Albanese recently told the Labor caucus his cabinet is preparing “an offer” to put to the Australian people at the election. As it crafts its pitch, the biggest uncertainty looming over Labor is what sort of parliament a second term Albanese government would likely face.

Labor’s first term report card

The Albanese government’s electoral strategy has constrained it to do little more than tweak the policy settings it inherited from the previous government, and adopt them as its own.

Natural philosophy

Public policy should be based on scientific evidence – but scientists often lament the gap between science and policy, while policy-makers feel that scientists don’t deliver the evidence that is needed, so perhaps philosophical expertise can help close the gap between research and policy.

Chalmers’ budget giveaway

Jim Chalmers has produced a benign third budget aimed at soothing hard-pressed voters agitated about their high cost of living and punishing interest rates without making things worse by over-stoking the economy.