On 26 May 1997 the report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families, entitled Bringing Them Home, was tabled in parliament. It received widespread publicity the following day at the Australian Reconciliation Convention in Melbourne and led to continuing public and parliamentary debate about the...

Summary The prospect of political change in North Korea is a recurring question, buoyed by media speculation regarding the health of the current leader, Kim Jong-Il, the dearth of information about his succession and concern for the potential instability that could occur. Australian interest stems from the possibility that political change in North Korea could...

Summary High oil prices, increased reliance on imported oil, and environmental concerns have led to calls for mandating the blending of domestically-produced ethanol with petrol (‘fuel ethanol’). The most common proposal is for a blend with 10 per cent by volume of ethanol (E10). Mandate advocates cite fuel security, a smaller trade deficit resulting from...

An analysis of summary data for the total population, the 0 to 14 years age group, and the 65 and over age group are presented in the tables in this online-only report.

Australia has neither commercial nor military nuclear programs, but its long involvement with nuclear science, nuclear weapons tests and uranium mining has left a legacy of radioactive waste, the management of which has proven a tough policy nut to crack. This chronology – originally published in January 2006 and revised in January 2008 – outlines...