Revision - Australian Democracy

Question 1

Traits of a functioning government according to the Democracy Index

Answer 1

• Transparency
• Accountability
• Popular trust in democratic institutions
• Integrity
• Citizens feel they have control over the government
• Confidence in government
• Representative political parties

Question 2

Characteristics of a healthy political culture

Answer 2

• Pluralism
• Participation
• Transparency
• Accountability
• Civil Rights
• Popular support/trust
• Rule of law
• Free and fair elections
• Functioning of government
• Independent media
• Civil civic discourse

Question 3

Overview of the Morrison Ministries Scandal

Answer 3

• During COVID-19, Scott Morrison secretly took control of five ministerial portfolios from March 2020 to May 2021
• The departments were Health, Finance, Industry, Home Affairs, and Treasury. Governor-General David Hurley approved without public ceremony, acting under PM’s orders
• Most Cabinet members were unaware that Morrison had taken over their portfolio
• Morrison used his new powers only once, to overturn the Pep-11 gas project approval during the 2022 election which was seen as politically motivated (trying to keep Liberal seats off NSW coast like Manly)
• An inquiry by former judge Virginia Bell called for greater transparency in ministerial appointments
• The Solicitor-General confirmed the actions were legal but breached responsible government principles

Question 4

What impact did the Morrison Ministries Scandal have on democracy?

Answer 4

• Transparency is undermined, as the appointments were kept secret from both the public, and the involved ministers, who would have been able to hold Morrison accountable
• Accountability is undermined, as Morrison abused his powers to force Gov. General Hurley to swear him in, as well as dismissing the Pep-11 project
• Functioning of government was undermined, as power was centralised and none of the ministers were aware
• Trust was undermined, as both the ministers and the public were uninformed until after Morrison left office, meaning there was the potential for him to do as he liked, which is not what the public wants from their politicians

Question 5

Richard Boyle and the ATO overview

Answer 5

• In 2017, Richard Boyle exposed a toxic culture in the ATO, where staff were told to issue garnishee notices without considering personal circumstances of those affected
• After the ATO rejected his internal disclosure, Boyle took his complaint to the Inspector General of Taxation, who dismissed it
• In 2018, he leaked ATO practices to The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, and Four Corners
• Boyle was charged with 66 offences which were later reduced to 24, including charges like disclosing protected information
• He lost appeals for whistleblower immunity in 2023 and 2024, with a trial set for September 2024. Boyle faces up to 46 years in prison if convicted

Question 6

What impact did Boyle and the ATO have on democracy?

Answer 6

• Transparency was undermined, as whistleblowers are deterred by these ferocious prosecutions and therefore are less likely to reveal allegations
• Accountability was undermined, as if the whistleblowers do not disclose information, then no allegations can be held, and therefore nothing can be done about certain practices
• Trust in democratic institutions was undermined, as people lost faith in the ATO for two reasons. The first is that the ATO could and did issue uncalled for garnishee notices without considering the impact. The second is that they saw no problem with this and actually rejected Boyle’s claims before he went to the media

Question 7

Sports Rorts overview

Answer 7

• The Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program allocated A$102.5 million to 684 community sports projects across Australia
• The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) found over 60% of approved grants did not meet Sports Australia’s target scores
• Evidence suggested the grants were distributed using a technique called ‘pork-barreling’ (allocating resources based on benefits to the political party)
• National Senator Bridget McKenzie, the Sports Minister, awarded a grant to a shooting club where she was a member which led to issues around conflict of interest
• McKenzie resigned in February 2020 after failing to disclose this conflict in the grant allocation process

Question 8

What impact did Sports Rorts have on democracy?

Answer 8

• Pluralism was undermined, as the party was not attempting to be representative, by allocating grants to where needed them the most
• Trust was undermined, as it became clear that the government could and would use their powers to benefit themselves rather then the community
• Functioning of government was undermined, as the government did not assign the grants in the way clearly set out, and failed to follow those procedures