New politics

Grattan’s three-report series outlines a new way of doing politics that safeguards the public interest over political interests.

In 2022, integrity in government has been front and centre in policy discussions. There’s been no shortage of examples of federal and state governments using public office for their own political advantage, whether giving well-paid and powerful public jobs to mates, or brazenly undertaking (and even defending) pork-barrelling. 

Grattan Institute’s New politics series of three reports surveys the fallout for our democracy, and lays the foundations for a new way of doing politics that safeguards the public interest over political interests.

  • The first report outlines a better process for making public appointments – one where merit is rewarded over mates.
  • The second report lifts the lid on pork-barrelling in Australia and shows how an open, competitive process for awarding grants, combined with stronger oversight, would substantially reduce the opportunity and incentive to waste taxpayers’ money in this way.
  • The third report calls on governments to reform taxpayer-funded advertising. Governments should not be spending public money on partisan messages – taxpayers should only foot the bill for important public messages with a strong call-to-action.

The New politics reforms are affordable, easy to implement, and have wide public support. They would help to protect public office from partisan influences.