Australia’s democracy is being stretched thin, with each federal parliamentarian MP now representing almost four times as many people as at Federation. This paper proposes that more MPs would increase the talent pool for ministries, reverse the growth in physical size of rural and regional electorates, and make MPs more responsive to local communities.

Australia’s tobacco control policy has reached a breaking point. Since 2019–20, revenue has persistently fallen short of forecasts and an illicit market has expanded. This paper explains how split responsibilities and misaligned incentives have produced this outcome. The paper calls for bold policy change, summarised in three key recommendations.

The Code of Conduct for Ministers sets out the expectations the Australian Government has of all its ministers. When taking decisions in, or in connection with, their official capacity, Ministers must act in the public interest. Ministers also have a special responsibility for ensuring their offices, and the Parliament as a whole, are safe and...

This review examined concerns about the adequacy of resources in federal parliamentarian offices and reviewed factors affecting workloads in federal parliamentarian offices. The review proposed 10 recommendations to improve support systems and processes and enhance the resources available to support this important work.

Transparency is the cornerstone of democratic governance, yet Australia’s federal executive continues to undermine it through increasing non-compliance with Senate orders for documents. Compliance has fallen to new historic lows. This paper finds that the mechanism for accessing government information has failed, and substantial reform is required. It recommends the establishment of an Independent Legal...