Statutory agencies are established with a particular purpose in mind. They address a specific set of interests or public need, usually with targeted powers. This research examines the complex authorising environment of small statutory agencies and demonstrates the importance of them interpreting their formal independence and their practical reliance on larger government departments.

China appears increasingly confident in aligning itself politically against the West. But there are ways for Australia and Europe to even the balance.

The relationship between a regulator and the organisations it regulates – like any relationship – should never be taken for granted. Much media attention is given to regulators who are too close to the entities they regulate. This article also discusses the opposite end of the spectrum where the relationship is distant, confrontational or non-existent.

This is the fifteenth edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI), which ranks 163 independent states and territories according to their level of peacefulness. Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the GPI is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness.

The purpose of this report is to review Australian experience of peace processes and suggest possible approaches for strengthening them.