Deb Wilkinson and Andrew Macintosh consider the effectiveness and propriety of the Howard government's administration of the new federal heritage regime. In particular, they examine the way in which the government dealt with the nomination to include Sir Donald Bradman's birthplace on the National Heritage List and its decisions to distribute heritage funding to Bradman-related...

In this submission to the inquiry into the 2004 federal election by the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, George Williams and Bryan Mercurio argue for reforms to the rules governing voting technology, political advertising, political funding and overseas voting. Other submissions to the inquiry are available at the committee's website.

With control of the Senate, the Coalition government will move further down the path of labour market deregulation. Further changes will cater to the interests of employers, with special attention to small business owners, while hastening the demise of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and imposing additional fetters on trade union activity. Yet, says Josh...

The Commonwealth Education Minister, Brendan Nelson, has suggested that the federal government assume full legal responsibility for universities. Andrew Norton argues that transferring power over universities from the states to the Commonwealth would be a mistake. Centralising decisionmaking in Canberra would put key decisions in the hands of the government most deaf to feedback, with...

During the period 1949 to 2004, there have been 23 general elections for the House of Representatives and 22 Senate elections. Gerard Newman provides a summary of each election, together with tables summarising the results in each state and territory. A brief commentary on each election is also provided.