Writer
MarianSawer
Marian Sawer is an emeritus professor of politics at the Australian National University.
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Restore trust by letting the voters see who is paying the piper, in real time
In 2019 a billionaire spent $83.6 million to influence a federal election. Why in 2022 is our democracy still for sale? Continue reading »
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Understanding corruption: there’s no need to get personal
Politicians have kept their ethical rulebook as vague as possible. All the better to deflect critics of their blatant vote-buying. Continue reading »
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The 2019 Federal Election: was there a level playing field?
The multifarious attempts at voter suppression in the 2020 US presidential election might prompt Australians to be grateful for the quality of our electoral administration. Uniquely, Australia has had since the 19th century a tradition of professional electoral administration, with administrators taking pride in an electoral roll as comprehensive and accurate as possible. Continue reading »
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Media moguls versus elites
Members of the Murdoch media have once again used the US election as an opportunity to pursue elites. Chris Kenny suggested in The Australian (5 November) that the election had been a win for the mainstream, against elites who treated the choices and preferences of the people with disdain. Who are these elites? Continue reading »
