Political Finance Regulation and Reform in New South Wales: Towards a Fairer System?

In recent years the regulation of political finance in Australia has moved from systems of laissez‐faire to systems of enhanced regulation, which aim to curb the scale and influence of donations. This article examines political finance regulation in New South Wales — the jurisdiction that has seen the most significant transformation of its regulatory setup — to assess whether and how the new regulations have affected donations to political parties in the state. We find, based on analysis of the pattern of donations before and after the reforms, that the regulations have made the financing system fairer and thus improved the quality of democracy in the state.     

Critical Incidents in emergency relief work

The ethos of technical assistance in emergency relief work has emphasised the importance of recruiting people with appropriate professional and technical skills to work under the difficult circumstances of disasters. The authors used the Critical Incident Technique to assess jobrelated skills that were seen to be crucial for the achievement of the objectives towards which emergency relief personnel were working. Fifteen Irish nurses, working predominantly in refugee camps, identified over 60 different work objectives and 54 distinct job-related skills. It is argued that greater account should be taken of the variety of objectives which motivates such fieldworkers. The job-related skills identified were primarily process- rather than outcome-oriented skills, and the authors hold that a greater emphasis should be placed on the development of fluid as opposed to crystallised skills. The possibilities of using the Critical Incident Technique as a mechanism for feeding back authentic field experience and operationalising effective process skills are discussed.     

Futile choices: Wooing doctors to acknowledge the law in Queensland

End-of-life decision-making continues to challenge health care providers, patients, families, regulators and judges. The Queensland State Coroner's findings in the 2009 inquest into the death of June Woo resulted in a submission from concerned clinicians to the Queensland Law Reform Commission's review of the State's guardianship regime, claiming that the judgment held problematic implications for future practice. This column summarises the State Coroner's findings and recommendations, and critically analyses the clinical response, focusing on consent requirements that, while peculiar to Queensland, illustrate continuing tensions surrounding decision-making conflicts at the end of life.     

Taxing the tempted: Personal addictions,sustainable revenues and the public good

The regulation of gaming, tobacco and alcohol is challenged by new realities. First, fewer people are convinced that government regulation of these indulgences is consistent with a rights‐based society. Second, while provincial budgets have continued to climb, the revenues drawn from “sin taxes” (excise taxes from tobacco and alcohol and revenues from gambling) have declined as a proportion of total revenues. As a result, these taxes will not cover the important social and health care costs triggered by the new permissiveness. This study contributes to budget theory by examining the changing policy landscape and sheds light on how Canadian provinces in particular have attempted to balance individual rights, social oversight and provincial revenues. It concludes by speculating on other addictive products that could soon be framed as worthy of taxation.     

Rights: Beyond Interest Theory and Will Theory?

Law and Philosophy -