The Twitter war over Dan Andrews

A QUT study of two interrelated Twitter hashtag campaigns regarding Dan Andrews’ handling of the COVID-19 second wave found the activity was driven by a “small, hyper-partisan core of highly active participants” rather than bot accounts.

How to keep the lights on in democracies

We need to work together to find ways to keep the light of democracy shining in our countries and all over the world. Because if we don’t, we will indeed face dark days ahead.

Understanding the new Commonwealth Integrity Commission

Australia has come a significant step closer to forming a federal anti-corruption agency, when federal Attorney-General Christian Porter released draft legislation designed to set up a Commonwealth Integrity Commission (CIC).

Less barking, more bite

UNSW’s Dr Mark Rolfe supports the independent funding model proposed by ICAC for a national anti-corruption body.

A better way to protect government integrity

Independent MP Helen Haines has just introduced a bill into parliament to establish a robust new federal integrity commission. Without the government’s support, it is unlikely to pass but the move is designed to force the government’s hand.

COVID won’t kill populism

Populist politicians around the world have struggled to cope with the COVID crisis, due in part to their disdain for traditional institutions.

Ardern shows the way in engaging with young voters

Jacinda Ardern seems to have been more successful in appealing to young people than many contemporary politicians, and encouraging them to participate in the electoral process in greater numbers.

The long history of scandal in NSW

Berejiklian is hardly the first NSW politician to become enmeshed in scandal. Corruption has been ingrained in the state’s political culture since its creation, and is why the Independent Commission Against Corruption remains a vital watchdog over the inner workings of its government.

A hit to DFAT accountability

The abolition of DFAT’s Office of Development Effectiveness (ODE) is a bad decision. This development is made worse by the non-transparent way the decision was made.

Vox Populi

Fergus Neilson analyses a snapshot of opinions on the condition of 21st century democracy and offers some ideas for reform.

Australia and the U.N.

As the UN’s second secretary-general, Dag Hammarskjöld, famously said, the UN ‘was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell’.

Increasing Australia’s investment in diplomacy

Australia is underinvesting in diplomacy given the type of world we are living in. But it’s wrongheaded to blame MPs and ministers for not simply understanding the intrinsic value of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and giving it more money.