The Australian Constitution, the nation’s founding political and legal document, was developed at a series of constitutional conventions in the 1890s and came into effect with the Federation of Australia in 1901. The Constitution sets the basic rules on how governments, and the different arms of government, operate in Australia. Due to historical circumstances, it...

This paper provides coverage of selected procedural changes during the first year of the operation of the House of Representatives in the 43rd Parliament, together with a range of statistics relating to the work of the House. The 2010 election, held on 21 August, was called early and under the unusual circumstance of a recent...

This discussion paper outlines the Government's plan for Australian tax reform, presented at the October 2011 Tax Forum. The Government has embarked on an ambitious tax reform agenda to reward hard work and boost participation, to support families and the disadvantaged, and to address the demands of the mining boom. But there is more to...

In this lecture to the Australian Senate Peter Mares argues that our thinking about migration has not caught up with recent changes in policy, particularly the rise in temporary migration.

This report examines the committee's inquiry into the status, health and sustainability of one of Australia's most loved and iconic native animals – the koala.