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Abstracts of Research Papers published 2002-03: |
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The Politics
of Constitutional Amendment [HTML][PDF 799KB] The process by which the Australian Constitution is amended is
complex and probably little understood by the general community.
This paper is an attempt to explain the politics involved in efforts
to amend the Constitution. It concludes that more efforts are likely
to fail than to succeed. (38 pages) |
| Turbulent
Times: Australian Airline Industry Issues 2003 [HTML][PDF 926KB] The Australian airline industry has experienced major changes to
its policy and operating environment over the past decade, culminating
in very turbulent economic conditions over the past two years. This
paper analyses these upheavals and some of the threshold issues
arising, particularly in relation to the sustainability of effective
competition in the industry over the longer term. (42 pages) |
| The Effects
of the US Steel Tariffs on Australian Steel Exports to the US
[HTML][PDF 561KB] The decision of the Bush administration to impose tariff increases
on steel imports threatened to cause further harm to the global
steel industry, already suffering from oversupply and depressed
prices. However, with the majority of Australian steel exports exempted
from the tariff increases, the result for the Australian steel industry
has been generally positive. (20 pages) |
| Tax Expenditures:
the $30 Billion Twilight Zone of Government Spending [HTML][PDF 860KB] This paper examines the $30 billion in Commonwealth tax expenditures
which provide tax benefits through deductions, rebates, reduced
rates and deferred liabilities. While essentially the same as outlays,
tax expenditures are not subject to the same scrutiny but provide
the cosmetic effect of a slimmer public sector with lower outlays
and taxation receipts. (46 pages) |
| Intergenerational Equity:
Issues of Principal in the Allocation of Social Resources Between
this Generation and the Next [HTML][PDF 529KB] The Commonwealth Government's 2002-03 Intergenerational Report
is about fiscal issues, but it is not value-free. The concepts of
intergenerational equity and sustainability are philosophically
and economically contested ones. This paper analyses and clarifies
the basic philosophical suppositions and rationales implicit in
the Report, in the context of some of the major competing views
about what our obligations of justice are to future generations.
(26 pages) |
| Intergenerational
Equity: Issues of Principal in the Allocation of Social Resources
Between this Generation and the Next [HTML][PDF 518KB] The Commonwealth Government's 2002-03 Intergenerational Report
is about fiscal issues, but it is not value-free. The concepts of
intergenerational equity and sustainability are philosophically
and economically contested ones. This paper analyses and clarifies
the basic philosophical suppositions and rationales implicit in
the Report, in the context of some of the major competing views
about what our obligations of justice are to future generations.
(26 pages) |
| The Commonwealth
Budget: Process and Presentation (April 2003) [HTML][PDF 656KB] The annual Budget, which is brought down in May, is perhaps the
Government's most important political, economic and social document.
The sheer size of the Budget—estimated outlays in the 2002–03
Budget were $167 billion dollars or the equivalent of 24 per cent
of gross domestic product—attests to its influence over the
size of as well as the allocation of resources within the economy.
The Budget contains information on matters such as its economic
consequences and the provision of goods and services. While the
Budget process changes little, major changes have been made to the
Budget's focus, content, format and reporting in recent years. (48
pages) |
| British Tribunals
of Inquiry: Legislative and Judicial Control of the Inquisitorial
Process-Relevance to Australian Royal Commissions [HTML][PDF
849KB] Research Paper No. 5 2002–03 Geoffrey Lindell, Consultant, Law and Bills Digest Group 15 April 2003 The paper from which this brief is drawn attempts to assess the
relevance of the experience generated by British Tribunals of Inquiry
for Australian federal Royal Commissions especially when analysed
against the background of judicial developments in some other jurisdictions
such as New Zealand and Ireland. The experience of those countries
may also provide insights into the law which governs the operation
of Australian federal royal commissions and changes that might be
considered to that law in the future. (27 pages) |
| Politician
Overboard: Jumping the Party Ship [HTML][PDF
675KB] Research Paper No. 4 2002–03 Sarah Miskin, Politics and Public Administration Group 24 March 2003 'Give back our seat' is a common cry in Australian when a Senator
or Member chooses to quit the party on whose platform s/he was elected
while retaining the seat in Parliament. This paper examines many
of the issues surrounding party jumping in Australia and overseas,
including the debate on who has the right to the seat: the politician
or the party. (48 pages) |
| Australia's
Foreign Debt [HTML][PDF
2,378KB] Research Paper No. 3 2002–03 Tony Kryger, Statistics Group 3 March 2003 In 1996 when the 'debt truck' was touring Australia, our net foreign
debt level was $194 billion or 39 per cent of GDP. The 'debt truck'
has since disappeared, but Australia's foreign debt has continued
to climb and in 2002 was equal to $330 billion or 46 per cent of
GDP. The paper provides information on Australia's gross and net
foreign debt, interest liability on foreign debt, composition of
foreign debt, and the relationship between foreign borrowings and
other capital inflows. (38 pages) |
| Electorate
Rankings: Census 2001 [HTML][PDF 3,409KB] Research Paper No. 2 2002–03 Andrew Kopras, Statistics Group 3 March 2003 This paper provides an analysis of socio-demographic data from
the 2001 Census of Population and Housing for Commonwealth Electoral
Divisions. |
| Public Private
Partnerships: An Introduction [HTML]
[PDF 191KB] Research Paper No. 1 2002–03 Richard Webb and Bernard Pulle, Economics, Commerce and Industrial Relations Group 24 September 2002 Governments throughout the world are increasingly resorting to
Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to provide services that the
public sector has traditionally provided. This Research Paper explains
what PPPs are, the forms they take, what they can offer to governments,
and some of the issues surrounding their use. It also |