This paper considers the constitutional and practical constraints upon reforming electoral campaign funding in Australia. It addresses the banning or capping of political donations, the limiting of campaign expenditure and the expansion of public funding of political parties. In doing so, it draws on the experience of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New...

Biofuels are fuels made from renewable biological feedstocks, either crops or waste. There are two main biofuels with commercial prospects in Australia: ethanol and biodiesel. These biofuels currently comprise less than 0.4% of the Australian automotive gasoline market. This briefing paper outlines the current use of ethanol and biodiesel fuels in Australia, and NSW specificially...

This 2008 report was commissioned to investigate the changes needed for the child protection system to provide more effective services to protect children and to meet future levels of demand. The contemporary challenge facing all child protection systems in Australia, and in particular NSW as the largest, is sufficiently resourcing flexible prevention and early intervention...

In recent years the overall number of people, engaging in tourist activity, in Australia and in NSW, has declined. While the number of inbound tourists has slightly increased, the number of Australians, locally participating in tourist activity, has decreased. The contribution of tourism, to the economy, has similarly decreased. There is a small, but significant...

This Briefing Paper considers the issue of asylum seekers in Australia. The paper commences with a summary of the current Federal Government’s policy with respect to asylum seekers, in particular immigration detention. It also considers the Federal Joint Standing Committee on Migration’s Inquiry into Immigration Detention in Australia, which is considering a number of key...