Communication and other literacy skills are vital to public safety organisations. Christine Hayes, Barry Golding and Jack Harvey investigate the impact literacy levels may have on the ability of volunteers to meet demands for more formal training and assessment. They also consider the role of these organisations in developing the skills of people in rural...

One of the most important features of representative democracy is the strength of the linkages between citizens and elected representatives. It is commonly thought that the electoral system, particularly the ballot structure used when citizens cast a vote, plays an important role in this process. In this paper Pippa Norris examines the pattern of contact...

Ever since above-the-line voting was introduced for the Australian Senate in 1984 there has been concern over what happens with preferences under this system. Marian Sawer examines the problems of this voting system and looks at options for reform.

There are strong arguments for and against a Bill of Rights (either statutory or constitutional) for Australia. These have been set out by people such as Peter Bailey, Justice Michael Kirby and Michael Zander. George Williams summarises the main arguments.

The independence of the auditor-general is now accepted as one of the important elements of accountability in democratic parliamentary systems like Australia. How well does the independence of Australia's auditors-general measure up though? In this paper Ken Coghill assesses each Australian jurisdiction, focusing particularly on the Commonwealth and the Australian Capital Territory.