Australia is at the forefront of professional and independent electoral administration, especially when assessed in international comparative studies. However, while there is often debate about the levels of fairness provided by the various electoral systems in use throughout Australia, less scrutiny has been applied to the electoral management bodies charged with administering these systems. Although...

In the wake of the latest increase in the printing allowance for federal MPs, Norm Kelly of the Democratic Audit of Australia, criticises both the accumulation of incumbency benefits and rules that allow the use of parliamentary allowances for partisan purposes.

Norm Kelly, a former Member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia and a soon to be member of the Political Science Program at the Australian National University, takes a look at the advantages that follow when minor parties achieve parliamentary party status.