Using the latest available data published by the Australian Taxation Office for the 2006–07 income year, this background note looks at levels of philanthropy, or more specifically, tax deductible giving in Australia. The note focuses in particular on how levels of giving, both in absolute terms and as a proportion of taxable income, vary between...

The election of the Rudd Government on 24 November 2007 signalled a more multilaterally-oriented role for Australia, in particular in the country’s relations with the United Nations (UN) and other like-minded international organisations. This research paper examines Australia’s relationship with the European Union (EU) and the growing cooperation between Australia and the EU on security...

A collection of 17 essays, written around the centenary of Federation, telling the story of how Parliament has fashioned and reworked the intentions of those who crafted the Constitution. Produced by the Parliamentary Library, Commonwealth of Australia. 1. Federal Parliament's Changing Role in Treaty Making and External Affairs [ HTML] ( PDF (22)) Research Paper...

This research paper on foreign debt is the fourth update of a Parliamentary Library paper originally published in September 1989. The objectives of the paper are to provide statistical information on: the levels of gross and net foreign debt; comparisons over time; the interest liability on foreign debt; composition of foreign debt by institutional sector...

This research paper addresses the question of whether the Commonwealth has the constitutional power to take over and regulate the administration of public hospitals (with or without the agreement of state governments). Summary • The funding and administration of public hospitals is an enduring area of controversy in Australian politics. • In recent years, the...