The Administrative Appeals Tribunal might sound like a dry, dusty component of the machinery of government, but its decisions – on anything from child support and tax to migration and citizenship – can be life-changing. Although it rarely makes headlines, experts see the AAT as an essential check on the power of government.

That’s why concern began growing earlier this year when the federal government was found to be making an increasing number of political appointments to this independent decision-making body.

But the problem is broader than the AAT, Grattan Institute researchers found when they began looking at appointments to a whole range of government boards and commissions. More than a fifth of the board members at Australia Post, for example, have a political connection of some kind, and half of the Productivity Commission’s board have links to the Coalition.

The process urgently needs depoliticising, say the Grattan researchers, and in today’s lead article the institute’s Kate Griffiths and her colleagues explain how.

Amanda Dunn

Section Editor: Politics + Society

Here’s a simple way to stop governments giving jobs to mates

Kate Griffiths, Grattan Institute; Anika Stobart, Grattan Institute; Danielle Wood, Grattan Institute

The federal government needs a transparent, merit-based process for all public appointments

How your status, where you live and your family background affect your risk of dementia

Yen Ying Lim, Monash University

Dementia doesn’t affect everyone equally. Social factors can determine how likely you are to suffer from the illness, including your socioeconomic status, where you live, and your background.

Why is tech giant Apple trying to teach our teachers?

Steven Lewis, Australian Catholic University

Apple is positioning itself as a global education expert. It’s providing not just computers to classrooms, but also professional learning for teachers.

A cosmic time machine: how the James Webb Space Telescope lets us see the first galaxies in the universe

Sara Webb, Swinburne University of Technology

Why is the universe 13.8 billion years old, but 93 billion light-years across? It’s all about how light travels through the cosmos.

Was Tricia the elephant happy? Experts on the ethics of keeping such big, roaming creatures in captivity

Jessica Turner, University of Adelaide; Alexandra Whittaker, University of Adelaide

Vale Tricia: the beloved Asian elephant called Perth Zoo home since 1963. Her death has led to an outpouring of grief in Perth, especially among zookeepers and her fellow elephants.

U311 Cherkasy, the little minesweeper of a Ukrainian film that gave the finger to the Russian Navy

Greg Dolgopolov, UNSW Sydney

U311 Cherkasy was the first Ukrainian film about the annexation of Crimea, and played an important role in shaping the national identity.

Gwen Harwood was one of Australia’s finest poets – she was also one of the most subversive

Cassandra Atherton, Deakin University

Two new books examine the life and legacy of an inspiring poet whose work resisted patriarchal constraints.

Politics + Society

Health + Medicine

Environment + Energy

 

Featured jobs

View all
Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership at Monash University
Melbourne VIC, Australia • Full Time
List your job
 
 
 
 
 

Featured Events, Courses & Podcasts

View all
What did dinosaurs actually look like?

7 October 2021 - 7 October 2026 •

Politics with Michelle Grattan Podcast

25 November 2021 - 25 November 2024 •

Addicted to dopamine

15 August 2022 • Kensington

Promote your event or course
 

​Contact us here to list your job, or here to list your event, course or podcast.

For sponsorship opportunities, email us here