by Democratic Audit of Australia [1]

The latest update from the Democratic Audit program at ANU on how our democracy is working.

Peter Andren: An independent way in Australian politics
Following Independent MP Peter Andren's announcement that cancer has forced him to withdraw from active politics, his former Chief of Staff Tim Payne reviews his parliamentary career. [2]
 
The accessibility of administrative justice
The Queensland parliament's Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee has picked up the inquiry on the accessibility of administrative justice initiated by the former committee, broadening the original terms of reference. The deadline for submissions is September 28th 2007. Full details of the inquiry can be found here [3].
 
Due process in Queensland local government mergers?
In the wake of the Northern Territory Emergency Bill, it seems it is not just the federal government that is keen to push legislation through without due process. The Queensland government has pushed through the legislation reducing the number of local authorities and councillors dramatically with little consultation and only one day of parliamentary debate. An amendment sacking any council that held a local ballot on the proposed mergers was introduced. The State government subsequently announced backed down on the threat after the federal government threatened to intervene to overrule it and to fund the ballots, and a Senate committee inquiry was launched to investigate the matter.
The details of the Senate inquiry are here [4].
 
Read more from the Age here [5].
 
Government questions polling integrity
The federal government has responded to continued poor opinion polling by questioning the integrity of the one of the polling companies. This emerged as a result of the involvement of a senior member of polling firm IPSOS in fundraising for ALP candidate for Bennelong, Maxine McKew. Whilst the objectivity of polling is surely important, it should be noted that the government has been getting poor results in polls by companies where no ALP connection has been found!
Read more in the Australian [6].
 
'Be honest, Minister!' Restoring faith in government in Australia
At the request of the authors, we are making the report of the Australasian Study of Parliament (ASPG) Accountability Working Group's report, 'Be honest, Minister!' Restoring faith in government in Australia, available on the Audit website. [7] The report recommends codifying ministerial responsibility, strengthening FOI, regulating lobbying, the establishment of a Parliamentary Standards Commission, and establishing independent Parliamentary Presiding Officers.

________________________
Dr Phil Larkin
Democratic Audit of Australia
Political Science
Australian National University
Canberra ACT 0200
 
Tel: +61 2 6125 0696 or 1600
Fax: +61 2 6125 3051