The Turnbull government is trying to limit the damage from the citizenship crisis with a plan to have all MPs make declarations about their circumstances.
The release of the much-awaited papers from the parliamentary archives will lead to new appraisals of Lionel Murphy’s life and work – including his alleged misbehaviour.
We are a secular nation, yet we acknowledge god in our Constitution. When it comes to religion, Australians tend to be pluralist and (relatively) tolerant.
Changes to Senate voting laws and the particular case of Senator Bob Day make for an unprecedented constitutional tangle, and one that will change the make-up of the Senate.
Australia’s Constitution sets the ground rules for its system of government. But many things one might expect to be in the Constitution are simply not there.
Across the world, debates have emerged around the extent to which the legislative branch should be involved in – and even have the final say on – authorisation of military deployment.
Superficial changes are not enough. A violent foundation and the displacement of Aboriginal laws are the bigger issues on which the Australian Constitution should be held to account.
Will completing the Constitution without making any substantive changes satisfy Indigenous Australians or make any real difference to their lives? Ahead of the proposed referendum on Indigenous recognition, such questions are vital.
Proposals for constitutional recognition of Indigenous people are gaining momentum but also raising legal concerns. Here is a form of words to create an advisory council that overcomes those concerns.
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University