The Australian Electoral Commission made public the 2002-03 annual disclosure returns for political parties, associated entities and donors on 2 February 2004. A month later, the Senate resuscitated an inquiry into the disclosure of donations to political parties and candidates. In this Research Note Sarah Miskin provides a guide to the returns, noting: the total...

Opinion polls have become an accepted component of political life. Poll results are perceived to be an accurate gauge of the public's mood and arguably influence all aspects of politics, from party leadership to policy proposals. Two new research notes form the basis for a new regular series compiling and comparing results from two major...

'Give back our seat' is a common cry in Australia when a Senator or Member chooses to quit the party on whose platform s/he was elected while retaining the seat in Parliament. This paper examines many of the issues surrounding party jumping in Australia and overseas, including the debate on who has the right to...

The war in Iraq raises again the issue of media coverage of conflict and the public's right to know. News that the United States military has 'embedded' 500 journalists in its fighting units suggests that the public will receive a more complete picture than it has in some recent conflicts. However, the coverage may be...

A pattern is emerging in Western liberal democracies, in which centre-left and social democratic governments are losing power to centre-right governments. This paper outlines the extent of this pattern, and discusses factors that may be contributing to the process, such as a pendulum swing effect and the centre-right's greater success in capitalising on "value politics"...