The Accountability Round Table
The Accountability Round Table is dedicated to improving standards of accountability, transparency, ethical behaviour and democratic practice in Commonwealth and State parliaments and governments across Australia. More here.
The defects in the Government’s integrity commission
See here for the podcast ART Director, Stephen Charles, did with Michelle Grattan for The Conversation on the shortcomings of the Government's proposed commission. Well worth a listen!
ART welcomes new Director – Peter Acton
Peter Acton was Managing Partner of the Boston Consulting Group’s Melbourne office and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and of the Australian Institute of Managers and Leaders. His book Poiesis: Manufacturing in Classical Athens was...
Open government clouded, Adjunct Professor Ken Coghill
Australia risks accusations of rejecting a central feature of the liberal democratic ideals that Prime Minister Morrison eagerly embraced in June at the Perth USAsia Centre. Open government was the first of the themes he advocated, saying: Supporting open societies,...
ART presents to Senate ‘National Cabinet’ COAG Bill inquiry
ART Chair, Fiona McLeod AO SC, Professor Spencer Zifcak, Stuart Hamilton and Dr Ken Coghill appeared today before the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee into the COAG Legislation Amendment Bill 2021. Here is the video of our presentation to...
The reforms we want from the Federal Government
An Integrity System for Australia
The reforms in brief:
A National Integrity System that is proactive, preventive, coordinated and cooperative | A National Integrity Commission that is independent, has investigative powers, makes recommendations and findings of fact, can investigate the judiciary | Parliamentary Integrity Commissioner
Political donations regime & election funding
The reforms in brief:
Caps of ~$1,000 on donations | Real time disclosure | Limits on election campaign expenditure incl. third party entities | Sanctions for electoral breaches | An independent body for public funding | Laws that require truth in political advertising
Civil society engagement
The reforms in brief:
support civic participation in the OGP | value public participation in decisions and policy | recognise the benefits of public engagement, including that of women | make policy and decisions more transparent | allow NFPs freedom of expression, association and opinion | greater collaboration
see more here …
Data in politics & government
The reforms in brief:
Ban covert digital techniques of influence | remove electoral & privacy act exemptions | supervise government data collection | recognise that personal data cannot be de-identified | control profiling for political use | control government buying-in data | cover social media in advertising rules | ban government data on-selling | citizen opt-in rights
Policy on the big issues – global warming
The reforms in brief:
An evidence-based, whole of government approach to the environment | a transparent mechanism to drive down emissions | government role in decarbonizing solutions | cooling off period for public officers going into the private sector
Lobbyists
The reforms in brief:
In-house lobbyists incl. in Register | matters discussed disclosed | documents made public | funds, gifts & events declared | oversight of Code & Register by the National Integrity System | campaign donations & expenditure limits | more public engagement in decisions | Senate role in countering undue influence
Integrity Lecture, Awards
Submissions
National Integrity Commission, OAIC, OGP