The Audit offers a range of interesting topics and articles that can surely add grist to our mill. The main audit has been examining five key areas. In its own words:

• citizenship, law and rights: for example, what protections are there for minorities in Australia?
• representative and accountable government: for example, what level of corruption is there
  in Australian government?
• participation and government responsiveness: for example, what modes of public
  consultation are used by Australian governments?
• democracy beyond the state: for example, how does Australia meet its international
  obligations under United Nations treaties?
• democracy and federalism: for example, how open are arrangements for intergovernmental decision-making?

What originally brought me to the audit was an article on the substantial costs charged by governments for processing Freedom if Information requests (an issue I will revisit). But then the more I read, the more I found interesting fodder, and as my handle [myriad] suggests, had a hell of a time trying to pick which area to highlight in my first blog entry here.

In the end, I have realised that there's too much good information to confine it to a single entry - after all the range of topics covered run the gamut from women in politics, to political party funding, to debate over whether Australia needs a Bill of Rights, to prisoner voting rights and the growing informal vote.

Over the next while, I will take a few of the key strands from the audit, and present them for discussion. In the meantime, if you can find the time to have a look around yourself, and want to suggest a key area or two for discussion, please, be my guest.

Next entry, in line with our focus issue as identified in the strategy II thread - media and Australian democracy.

By Myriad Mint at 19 May 2005 - 2:21pm Myriad Mint's blog Add new comment 51615 reads

https://www.yourdemocracy.net.au/drupal/node/1035

THIS EARLY POST ON THIS SITE DESERVES A RE-POST FOR A COUPLE OF MAIN REASONS. THE LINK TO THE ORIGINAL AT THE ANU [AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY] DOES NOT EXIST ANY MORE AND THIS LINE OF COMMENTS WAS USED IN A THESIS [IN SPANISH] FOR A DOCTORATE IN SOCIAL POLICIES.

READ FROM TOP.

PLEASE VISIT:

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

         RABID ATHEIST.

         WELCOME TO THIS INSANE WORLD….

IMAGE AT TOP: CHILDREN MURAL IN NEWTOWN, SYDNEY