Australian Policy and History

What is stopping education as statecraft?
What is stopping education as statecraft? Transparency in government decision-making: Essential for democracy, not optional for convenience Democracy Dies in the Dark: Why Transparency Matters More Than Political Convenience Why Australia’s War Memory Sounds Different in Asia Making the Invisible Visible: Why We Must Protect the Right to Protest

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Australian Policy and History is a network of historians that provides politicians, bureaucrats, journalists and the public with historical knowledge in the pursuit of better public policy outcomes. We publish a range of material that connects historical research to current-day policy issues, and we run conferences and workshops. Australian Policy and History is run chiefly by historians at Deakin University, with support from the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University.

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What is stopping education as statecraft?

What is stopping education as statecraft?

In the past few weeks a new report was released by the Asia-Pacific Development Diplomacy and Defence Dialogue (AP4D) – Education as a Tool of Statecraft. I read the report as I transited in Brisbane on my way home from some work in Papua New Guinea, right in the education as statecraft wheelhouse. I have […]
Transparency in government decision-making: Essential for democracy, not optional for convenience

Transparency in government decision-making: Essential for democracy, not optional for convenience

Purpose Enhancing Australia’s transparency mechanisms to preserve trust and citizen engagement in our democratic system The problem Transparency is the bedrock of democratic trust. Citizens must be assured that representatives act for the public good, not private gain. Yet public trust in Australian political institutions is declining, eroded by scandals like Robodebt, a lack of […]
Democracy Dies in the Dark: Why Transparency Matters More Than Political Convenience

Democracy Dies in the Dark: Why Transparency Matters More Than Political Convenience

When NSW Police launched Strike Force Tuohy against protesters in 2021, the publicly stated justification was ‘public safety’.[1] In contrast, a Freedom of Information request revealed a different priority: a senior Deputy Commissioner explicitly noting ‘continuing engagement’ with the very coal corporations the protesters were targeting.[2] Yet, the actual content of those discussions, which might […]
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