This short paper discusses the constitutional issues associated with the proposed amendments in the Election Funding, Expenditure and Disclosures Amendment Bill 2011 relating to caps on electoral expenditure. Significant issues of interpretation remain to be clarified in relation to the implied freedom of political communication. Furthermore, the issues identified in this paper can only be...

This paper canvasses opinions and issues arising from the proposed ban on political donations from third party interest groups in the Election Funding, Expenditure and Disclosures Amendment Bill 2011, currently before the NSW Parliament, with particular reference to the implied freedom of political communication under the Commonwealth Constitution. One point to make is that significant...

Only a small number of empirical studies in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand have examined the relationship between Indigenous people's levels of cultural attachment and their socio-economic outcomes. This paper examines whether strengthening cultural attachment can help reduce Indigenous disadvantage in Australia. Image: Rusty Stewart / flickr

Just as the arts lend constant support to community life, the debate about the appropriate level of arts funding is ongoing. While this debate may not occupy the centre stage of political life, it is nonetheless a debate that is deeply felt in many and varied parts of the community. The importance of arts funding...

This paper looks at recent developments in residential tenancy law in NSW, provides an overview of Residential Tenancy Act, and describes the reforms outlined in the NSW Government’s September 2007 consultation paper, which contains 102 proposals for reforming residential tenancy laws in NSW. Some key proposals include: • Tenants who have been issued with a...