Democracy

20 July 2023

Australian institutions are so hostile to freedom that telling the truth is an act of resistance For too long, Australians committed to freedom have consoled themselves, believing that while their condition is desperate, it’s not yet serious. As Christians lose their jobs, as Liberal and Labor governments embrace government censorship of our speech and opinions, and as the heritage that’s

25 May 2023

On May 26 The Institute of Public Affairs’ John Storey discusses with Fred Pawle on ADH TV how the separation of powers is the bedrock of our liberal democracy and that New South Wales Supreme Court Justice Ian Harrison’s intervention into the Voice to Parliament campaign should be of concern to every Australian. Below is a transcript of the interview.

28 December 2022

This article was originally published in The Spectator Australia on or about 28 December 2022 and was written by the author in their capacity as a contributor for that publication. It has been republished on the IPA website with permission. The views expressed are those of the author alone. Democracy is the backbone of the Australian way of life. By global standards, Australia’s

20 October 2022

This article was originally published in The Australian Financial Review on or about 20 October 2022 and was written by the author in their capacity as a contributor for that publication. It has been republished on the IPA website with permission. The views expressed are those of the author alone. It’s foolish to claim the destruction of Liz Truss is the best thing

19 March 2022

On March 19, Australians come together to celebrate what may be one of the least appreciated aspects of our democracy. That is, our ability to vote privately inside a polling station without having someone watch over our shoulders. It was this day, 166 years ago in 1856, that the Victorian Parliament first legislated what has come to be known as

16 December 2021

Australia has always prided itself on being a frontier land. Our vast and isolated landscape gave rise to a rugged individualism and self-reliance. Our convict past fed into the image of Australians as being naturally sceptical of authority. Our egalitarian ethos gave rise to a distrust of the establishment and dislike of elitism. The Australian approach can perhaps be best

9 September 2020

“It’s probably a bit unusual for me to be in agreement with the IPA,” said Labor Senator Kim Carr. “I have been known to say some nasty things about you.”  This utterance occurred during a hearing of the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation on 27 August, of which Carr is a member. The Committee is currently inquiring

2 September 2020

The World Health Organisation’s Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last Friday that “we will not – we cannot – go back to the way things were… the pandemic has given new impetus to the need to accelerate efforts to respond to climate change.”  Tedros also said, “the pandemic has given us a glimpse of our world as it could be: cleaner skies and rivers.” 

29 August 2020

When Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says that it is ‘foreseeable’ that a state of emergency could last beyond another 12 months, Australians would not be out of place in wondering if that means until or beyond the next state election due in November 2022. Australians would also not be out of place in wondering what expectations Mr Andrews is trying

31 October 2019

Proposals to write a so-called Voice to Parliament into our Constitution will divide Australians along racial lines. This would be bad for our democracy and our nation. We are all equal. Today the IPA is proud to release our Race Has No Place research video, in which Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Dr Anthony Dillon, Senator James McGrath and Lorraine Finlay explain