The Australian Senate has voted overwhelmingly to approve a referendum on changing the country’s Constitution. Having already passed the lower house, the bill passed the upper house on Jan. 19, 52 votes to 19, and means the country is set for a national vote sometime between October and December. The passing of the Constitution Alteration…

Children will be put at the centre of proposed law reforms to make court processes for separating families simpler and safer. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the current parenting framework in the Family Law Act was complex, confusing and, in some cases, led to unsafe parenting arrangements. Dreyfus introduced the reforms to parliament’s lower house on Wednesday,…

Commentary Turf warfare. It’s one of the most destructive and debilitating activities in any enterprise. Government is no exception. Indeed, the government may be the area where it is the most destructive and debilitating. The consequences are manifested in harm to the national interest. Myopic approaches, stove-piped considerations, protecting or desperately trying to increase your…

The Australian federal government has approved a request to extradite a former U.S. Marine Corps fighter pilot to the United States where he faces conspiracy charges over allegations he unlawfully exported defence services to China. Daniel Edmund Duggan, 54, who held both Australian and American citizenship, was accused of breaking U.S. arms control laws by…

Commentary Australia’s federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced on Dec. 16 that the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) would be replaced by a new body. The AAT was established under the Fraser Coalition government in 1976 to review government administrative decisions. Thus, it is an important judicial organ in terms of government accountability. It has jurisdiction to…

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled the national anti-corruption commission (ACCC) amid warnings from the opposition that sweeping powers could result in a “show trial.” Having cleared the bill at the party caucus on Tuesday, the Labor government will pour in $262 million (US$170 million) over four years to establish and operate the Commission,…

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and his Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, have announced an inquiry into his predecessor’s decision to secretly appoint himself to five ministries. The announcement comes amid criticism that the Labor government should be dealing with other, more pressing issues, including rising inflation, energy prices, interest rates, as well as Beijing’s influence in…