This paper traces the rise and fall of the Democrats, Australia's longest-surviving minor party, examining the sources of its support and the reasons for its decline. The Australian Democrats are the longest surviving and most successful minor party in federal politics. The party was created as a ‘centre’ party. Two distinctive features of the party...

The majority of stakeholders argued that the current targeted level of prescribed burning, approximately 130,000 hectares per annum, undertaken by DSE and its partner agencies is insufficient to mitigate the impacts of future bushfires and provide the level of fire needed to promote healthy ecological outcomes. The Committee agrees with these stakeholders and recommends a...

In health policy debates in recent years, a range of different models have been proposed for reforming the Australian health system. When presented in isolation, these models can be confusing, particularly for those for whom the health system is unfamiliar territory. This Background Note is intended as a guide to some of the main recent...

Around 70 per cent of Australian households own or are purchasing their home. The rate of home ownership has remained remarkably stable at this level for over four decades according to data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in its Census of Population and Housing and its Survey of Income and Housing (SIH). The...

During the Howard government’s time in office five bills attracted a conscience vote. These bills were: Euthanasia Laws Bill 1996, Research Involving Embryos Bill 2002, Prohibition of Human Cloning Bill 2002, Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Repeal of Ministerial Responsibility for Approval of RU486) Bill 2005 and Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction and the Regulation of...