CCF – Powers of Parliament

Debates about how to reconcile the competing interests of freedom of speech and protection from racial discrimination have featured prominently in Australian political life over the last few years. 

Today’s CCF commences what we expect to be a major task to correct Constitutional myths and dubious facts.

In the last year or two you may have read commentary discussing the possibility of the next election being a double dissolution.

But how many of us know what a double dissolution election is, what is involved or why we have the mechanism for it?

Public discussion about Australia Post for the last few years has specifically been scrutinising the profitably of the service/business.

But did you know that postal service is found in the Constitution under Section 51 (v).

At the July COAG meeting in Sydney it was announced that the Northern Territory would push towards becoming a State in 2018. Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles said that the Territory was a “second class citizen” that had a “second-tier status in the nation”.

CEFA asked a group of people what being an Australian citizen means to them. Overall, those not born in Australian felt that Australian citizenship was a huge privilege, while others born in Australia were more apathetic about it.

After the budget announcement on Tuesday night we thought it might be time to take a closer look at what the Constitution says about Government spending.

The Treasurer Joe Hockey has announced that he will hold town-hall meetings across the country in the coming months to start a conversation about the future of Australia after handing down the intergenerational report.

Recent national security proposals and Australia’s ongoing focus on asylum seekers have raised questions about what it means to be an Australian citizen. Australians commonly regard citizenship as central to political life and identity.