At the beginning of March a Queensland Times newspaper read “Slipper tally: 26 pollies ejected”, and a few days later a headline in the Age shouted “The revenge of Peter Slipper”. Similar headlines have been common in recent months as new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Peter Slipper, has removed a number of prominent Members from the House for poor conduct and language.
Thanks to The Canberra Times and ABC 666 spreading the word, we have found out more about the Julia Gillard/Tony Abbott T-shirt!
What do Yarrabah, Balladonia, Hobart and Canberra have in common? They are all places on the new Rule of Law Exploring Democracy trail which traces the development of Australia’s court system, and maps places associated with landmark High Court decisions.
For two days in the first week of December this year, over ninety delegates listened, debated and argued as the Women, Leadership and Democracy in Australia conference unfolded at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House.
The Museum of Australian Democracy has just released a brand new trail on Exploring Democracy. The Parliament trail uses 24 sites around Australia and the world to explore the growth of parliamentary government in Australia, and the role of parliament in relation to both the legislative and the executive branches of government.
Last Wednesday 14 September, the museum hosted 53 students from local schools participating in the ACT Constitutional Convention.
On 15 September, the Museum of Australian Democracy is supporting the United Nations International Day of Democracy.
The following key findings have been distilled from our initial analysis of the Pure Profile Democracy Survey results and listed in order of position in the survey.
The Museum of Australian Democracy began the Loss of Freedom initiative at the beginning of June 2011. By the end of the month it was obvious that it had created an online buzz cloaked in intrigue, mystery, and just a little reflection.
Australia’s only hung parliament in the first century of Federation, resulted from the wartime election of 1940.
The challenge of being in parliamentary opposition is explored in the recently opened Opposition Party Room and the Leader of the Opposition’s Office at the Museum of Australian Democracy.
Blueprint for a Better World – a Caritas Australia exhibition in partnership with AusAID at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
The third and final event of our Uncensored Conversations, ‘Freedom of speech and censorship: How free are we?’ was held at 6pm in King’s Hall at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Canberra on 15 June 2010.
The second event in our Uncensored Conversations speaker series was held at 6pm in King’s Hall at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Canberra on 27 May 2010.
The first event in our Uncensored Conversations speaker series, was held at 6pm in King’s Hall at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Canberra on 11 May 2010.
Uncensored Conversations is a speaker series that could only take place in a true democracy. In May and June 2010, the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House will host a forum that will see well-known Australians share their thoughts on the hottest topics shaping our democracy. Limited seats. Register now.
How did Australian politicians of the nineteenth century campaign, in the days before today’s pervasive electronic media? They went to where people gathered in their daily lives, and held political meetings in gathering places such as pubs, Mechanic’s Institutes, and open air venues such as a local park or even under a particular tree.
Just as visitors to museums may develop an attachment to certain objects, so too do curators. Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House curator Corinne Perkins loves the Cromwell coin, which dates back to the period of the English Civil Wars (1642-52).
