This research paper addresses some of the key military, political, and diplomatic aspects of Australia’s drawdown in Afghanistan, and provides some early indications as to what the post-2014 mission could look like. Introduction Australia first sent troops to conduct operations in Afghanistan in 2001, as part of a multinational response targeting al-Qaeda in response to...

After the federal election on 7 September 2013, members elected to serve in the House of Representatives and senators representing the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory will be sworn in on the first sitting day of the 44th Parliament. State senators will be sworn in on the first parliamentary sitting day after their...

This paper recounts the story of the 2013 media reforms - their introduction, the hurried investigations which attempted to explore their intentions and possible outcomes, and their eventual demise. Introduction As a result of an investigation into the British media following allegations of corruption, the Australian Government announced in September 2011 that it would instigate...

This paper seeks to provide a guide to better understand: what is expertise, how to determine who are the relevant experts where it comes to the technical aspects of public policy debates, and how to go about choosing between competing expert claims.

The paper provides background information on private health insurance arrangements, as well as the challenges emerging from increasing rates of chronic disease, and discusses the role of Broader Health Cover. Introduction In 2007, a series of major reforms to private health insurance (PHI) were introduced with the passage of the Private Health Insurance Act 2007...