This unit outline should be read alongside the Master of Politics and Public Policy Guidelines.  These notes relate specifically to the MPP program. Please familiarise yourself with the guidelines. They are available on the iLearn website for this unit, or can be provided in hard copy by your convenor.

For lecture times and classrooms please consult the MQ Timetable website: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au. This website will display up-to-date information on your classes and classroom locations.

Internal students are expected to attend the following classes each week:

Lecture: Tuesday 6-7pm

Seminar: Tuesday 7-9pm

External students: The lecture is recorded and may be downloaded from the iLearn website shortly after it is delivered.

External students are also required to attend 2 on-campus sessions of four hours each over the semester. The dates for these sessions are:

Saturday 17 September 2016:  2 - 4 pm in W6B 350

Saturday 29 October 2016: 2 - 4 pm in  W6B 350

External students are encouraged to attend weekly lectures and seminar classes whenever they can. 

University regulations prescribe regular attendance at classes. Students are expected to attend all lectures and seminars, or on-campus sessions for external students.

For internal students, failure to attend at least three-quarters of seminars risks exclusion from and no credit for the unit.

For external students, failure to attend the first on-campus session will risk exclusion from and no credit for the unit.

If you are unable to attend a class, you should provide documentary support for your absence (e.g., medical certificate). If you know that you will be unable to attend a class, or on-campus session, you should contact the convenor as early as possible.

Accountability is an essential but highly contested aspect of policy-making in a democratic system. This unit provides a critical examination of the growing array of mechanisms (ministerial responsibility, judicial review of administrative action, administrative law, ombudsmen, auditors-general, parliamentary committees, judicial review, ICAC, FOI, whistle-blower protections) designed to hold public policy makers accountable. The unit explores a range of theoretical approaches to accountability and responsibility, and applies these to current debates in the Australian and international setting. Recent developments in government service delivery, such as privatisation, outsourcing, and public private partnerships, are analysed with respect to the reach and effectiveness of accountability mechanisms

Assignment submission for internal and external students

Written work must be submitted through Turn-it-in via the POL836 iLearn website. Click on the Turn-it-in button on the right hand side of the POL836 page and follow the instructions.  

Return of marked work

During semester, marked work will be returned to internal students via lectures or seminars. Marked work will be returned to external students either at On Campus sessions or by post.

Extensions will only be granted in exceptional circumstances, and will require documentary evidence such as a medical certificate to support the request for an extension. You should contact the convenor as early as possible if you think you may need an extension. While we do understand that most students are engaged in paid employment, extensions cannot be granted on this basis alone.

Penalties for late submission: Assignments which are submitted after the due date, without having an extension granted by the convenor, will be penalised, at a rate of 3% of the mark for each week day after the due date. Any paper submitted more than 3 weeks after the due date will not be marked, and the student will be failed for the assignment.

Special Consideration Policy

http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/special_consideration/policy.html

Applying for Special Consideration

Students applying for Special Consideration circumstances of three (3) consecutive days duration, within a study period, and/or prevent completion of a formal examination must submit an on-line application with the Faculty of Arts. For an application to be valid, it must include a completed Application for Special Consideration form and all supporting documentation.

The online Special Consideration application is found at:  http://www.arts.mq.edu.au/current_students/undergraduate/admin_central/special_consideration.

University Grading Policy

http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

The grade a student receives will signify their overall performance in meeting the learning outcomes of a unit of study. Grades will not be awarded by reference to the achievement of other students nor allocated to fit a predetermined distribution. In determining a grade, due weight will be given to the learning outcomes and level of a unit (ie 100, 200, 300, 800 etc). Graded units will use the following grades:

Further information on the rubric used in determining grades in MPP units will be distributed in class and posted on the iLearn website.

REQUIRED READING

Readings for each week are contained in the iLearn page of the unit and should be read in good time in preparation for each week.

BACKGROUND MATERIAL

Many of the mechanisms which have been developed to try to ensure accountability have a legislative basis and are generally dealt with under the head of ‘administrative law’ or, less commonly, ‘public law’.

Students will not be expected to become administrative law experts but for those who wish to explore the general field, there are a number of texts which may be helpful:

Robin Creyke, John McMillan with Rocque Reynolds: Control of Government Action – Text, Cases and Commentary. LexisNexis Butterworths. 2009.

Michael Head: Administrative Law: Context and Critique. Federation Press. 2008.

Roger Douglas: Douglas and Jones’ Administrative Law. Federation Press. 2009.

Peter Cane and Leighton McDonald: Principles of Administrative Law: Legal Regulation of Governance.  Oxford University Press. 2008

Matthew Groves and H. P. Lee (eds): Australian Administrative Law: Fundamentals, Principles and Doctrines. Cambridge University Press. 2007.

Geoffrey Flick: Federal Administrative Law. Lawbook. 2007.

GOVERNMENT SOURCES

Legislation and Case Law

Copies of Commonwealth and New South Wales legislation as well as access to court judgments and tribunal decisions can be obtained from the legal website:

www.austlii.edu.au

Commonwealth Government

Senate Committees:

www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee

House of Representatives Committees:

www.aph.gov.au/house/committee

Department of the Parliamentary Library:

www.aph.gov.au/library

High Court of Australia:

www.hcourt.gov.au

Commonwealth Auditor General:

www.anao.gov.au

Commonwealth Ombudsman:

www.comb.gov.au

New South Wales Government

Parliamentary Committees:

www.parliament.nsw.gov.au

New South Wales Audit Office:

www.audit.nsw.gov.au

New South Wales Ombudsman:

www.nswombudsman.nsw.gov.au

New South Wales Administrative Decisions Tribunal:

www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/adt

Independent Commission against Corruption:

www.icac.nsw.gov.au

REFERENCE MATERIAL

Aulich, Chris and Wettenhall, Roger (eds): Howard’s Second and Third Governments: Australian Commonwealth Administration 1998 – 2004. UNSW Press. 2005.

Baladino, David: Democratic Oversight of Intelligence Services.  Federation Press. 2010.

Bartos, Stephen: Against the Grain: The AWB Scandal and Why It Happened. UNSW Press. 2006

Burchell, David and Leigh, Andrew (eds.): The Prince’s New Clothes : Why Do Australians Dislike Their Politicians? UNSW Press, 2002

Campbell, Enid and Lee, H. P.: The Australian Judiciary. Cambridge Univ. Press. 2001.

Chase, Steve: You Didn’t Get it From Me – A Reporter’s Account of Political Life in New South Wales from 1988-2001.   ABC Books. 2006.

Creyke, Robin: The Impact of Judicial Review on Tribunals. Law and Policy Paper 27. Federation Press. 2006.

Davis, Glyn and Weller, Patrick (eds): Are You Being Served?  State, Citizens and Governance. Allen & Unwin. 2001.

De Maria, William: Deadly Disclosures. Wakefield Press. 1999.

Dempster, Quentin: Whistleblowers.  Australian Broadcasting Corporation: ABC Books. 1997.

Dowdle, Michael J. (ed): Public Accountability: Designs, Dilemmas & Experiences. Cambridge University Press. 2006.

Economou, Nick and Tanner, Stephen: Media, Power and Politics in Australia.

Pearson Education Australia. 2008.

Ferlie, E., Lynn, L.E. and Pollitt, C. (eds.): Oxford Handbook of Public Management. Oxford University Press. 2005.

Funnell, Warwick, Cooper, Kathie and Lee, Janet, Public Sector Accounting and Accountability in Australia 2^nd ed. UNSW Press. 2012

Funnell, Warwick: Government by Fiat –The Retreat from Responsibility. UNSW Press. 2001.

Gleeson, Michael, Allan, Toni and Wilkins, Michael: An Act of Corruption – Nick Greiner’s Years in Power and His Unorthodox Demise. ABC Books. 1992.

Hamilton, Clive and Maddison, Sarah (eds.): Silencing Dissent – How the Australian Government is Controlling Public Opinion and Stifling Debate. Allen & Unwin. 2007.

Keating, Michael, Wanna, John, and Weller, Patrick (eds): Institutions on the Edge?  Capacity for Governance.  Allen & Unwin. 2000.

Lewis, Colleen, Ransley, Jane and Homel, Ross: The Fitzgerald Legacy: Reforming Public Life in Australia and Beyond. Australian Academic Press. 2010.

Louw, Eric: The Media & Political Process 2nd ed. Sage. 2010.

Manne, Robert (ed.): Do Not Disturb – Is the Media Failing Australia?  Black Inc.  2005.

Marr, David and Wilkinson, Marian: Dark Victory. Allen & Unwin. 2003.

Mulgan, Richard: Holding Power to Account – Accountability in Modern Democracies.  Palgrave Macmillan. 2003.

Overington, Caroline: Kickback – Inside the Australian Wheat Board Scandal. Allen & Unwin. 2007.

Patapan, Haig: Judging Democracy – The New Politics of the High Court of Australia. Cambridge University Press. 2000.

Patapan, Haig, Wanna, John and Weller, Patrick: Westminster Legacies – Democracy and Responsible Government in Asia and the Pacific. UNSW Press. 2005.

Paterson, Moira: Freedom of Information and Privacy in Australia.  LexisNexis Butterworths Australia. 2005.

Pearson, Linda, Harlow, Carol Taggart, Michael: Administrative Law in a Changing State. Hart Publishing. 2008.

Roberts, Alasdair: Blacked Out: Government Secrecy in the Information Age. Cambridge University Press. 2006.

Schultz, Julianne: Reviving the Fourth Estate – Democracy, Accountability and the Media. Cambridge University Press. 1998.

Solomon, David: The Political High Court – How the High Court Shapes Politics. Allen & Unwin. 1999.

Spigelman, James:Secrecy – Political Censorship in Australia. Angus & Robertson. 1972.

Terrill, Greg: Secrecy and Openness – The Federal Government from Menzies to Whitlam and Beyond. Melbourne Univ. Press. 2000.

Thynne, Ian and Goldring, John: Accountability and Control – Government Officials and the Exercise of Power. Law Book. 1987.

Tiernan, Anne: Power without Responsibility? Ministerial Staffers in Australian Governments from Whitlam to Howard. UNSW Press. 2007.

Uhr, John: Deliberative Democracy in Australia – The Changing Face of Parliament. Cambridge University Press. 1998.

Uhr, John: Terms of Trust – Arguments over Ethics in Australian Government. UNSW Press. 2005.

Wanna, John, Ryan, Christine and Ng, Chew: From Accounting to Accountability – A Centenary History of the Australian National Audit Office.  Allen & Unwin. 2001.

Weller, Patrick: Don’t Tell the Prime Minister.  Scribe. 2002.

Weller, Patrick (ed.): Royal Commissions and the Making of Public Policy. Macmillan Education Australia. 1994.

SELECTED REPORTS

Independent Inquiry into the Green Loans Program – Review of Procurement Processes and Contractual Arrangements, by Ms Patricia Faulkner June 2010

Pp 1-4; 34-42

http://www.climatechange.gov.au/~/media/publications/green-loans/green-loans-faulkner-report.ashx

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Internal Audit Review of the Procurement Practices in the Green Loans Program (December, 2009; Protiviti [Risk & Business Consulting, Internal Audit]), released 8/7/2010

http://www.climatechange.gov.au/~/media/publications/green-loans/green-loans-protiviti-report.ashx

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Review of the Green Loans Program (March, 2010; produced by Resolution Consulting Services), pp 3-5 

http://www.climatechange.gov.au/~/media/publications/green-loans/green-loans-resolution-consulting-report.ashx

Australian Law Reform Commission, Report 112: Secrecy Laws and Open Government in Australia (March, 2010)

Australian Law Reform Commission, Issues Paper 34: Review of Secrecy Laws (2009)

M J Clarke, QC: Report of the Inquiry into the case of Dr Mohamed Haneef (Attorney General’s Department, 2008)

Commonwealth Administration Review Committee Report. (Kerr Committee Report) 1971

Final Report of the Committee on Administrative Discretions (Bland Committee Report) 1973

Prerogative Writ Procedures: Report of Committee of Review (Ellicott Committee Report) 1973

Administrative Review Council: Better Decisions – Review of Commonwealth Merits Review Tribunals. 1995

Administrative Review Council: The Scope of Judicial Review. Report Number 47, 2006

Senate Select Committee on a Certain Maritime Incident: Report. 2002

Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee: Inquiry into Members of Parliament Staff. 2003

Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee: Inquiry into Government Advertising and Accountability. 2005

Senate Select Committee on Public Interest Whistleblowing: In the Public Interest. 1994

Senate Select Committee on Unresolved Whistleblower Cases: The Public Interest Revisited. 1995

Senate Select Committee on the Scrafton Evidence, Report, 2004

Senate Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs: Freedom of Information. 1979

Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration, References Committee: Regional Partnerships and Sustainable Regional Programs. 2005

.

Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration: Transparency and Accountability of Commonwealth Public Funding and Expenditure. March 2007

Senate Standing Committee on Procedure: Restructuring the Committee System. August 2006

Australian Law Reform Commission and Administrative Review Council: Freedom of Information. Issues Paper 12. 1994; Discussion Paper 59. 1995

Australian Law Reform Commission Report 77 and Administrative Review Council Report 40: Open Government: A Review of the Federal Freedom of Information Act. 1982.  1995

.

Australian National Audit Office: Management of the Detention Centre Contracts – Part A Audit Report No 54 of 2003-04

Australian National Audit Office: Management of the Detention Centre Contracts – Part B Audit Report No 1 of 2005-06

M. J. Palmer: Inquiry into the Circumstances of the Immigration Detention of Cornelia Rau Report. 2005

John Uhrig: Review of Corporate Governance of Statutory Authorities and Office Holders. Department of Finance and Administration. 2003

Commonwealth Ombudsman: Inquiry into the Circumstances of the Vivian Alvarez Matter. Report No. 03 of 2005

Australian Public Service Commission: Supporting Ministers, Upholding the Values – A Good Practice Guide. 2006

Parliament of New South Wales Joint Select Committee on the Cross City Tunnel: Second Report. The Cross City Tunnel and Public Private Partnerships. 2006

Gareth Griffith: “Parliament and Accountability: The Role of Parliamentary Oversight Committees” (Briefing Paper No 12 of 2005, NSW Parliamentary Library Research Service)

Terence Cole: Report of the Inquiry into Certain Australian Companies in Relation to the UN Oil-for-Food Programme (Cole Inquiry), November 2006

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

American Political Science Review

Australian Journal of Political Science

Australian Journal of Politics and History

Australian Journal of Public Administration

Australian Journal of Social Issues

British Journal of Political Science

Governance: An International Journal of Policy and Administration

Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice

Journal of European Public Policy

Journal of Public Policy

International Journal of Public Sector Management

International Public Management Journal

Policy Sciences

Political Quarterly

Political Studies

Political Studies Review

Politics

Public Administration

Public Administration Review

Public Management: An International Journal of Research and Theory

Political Quarterly

Review of Policy Research

Access to the particular websites of the Australian Government of most use is through the Parliamentary website: www.aph.gov.au

Of particular use is the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library which publishes a series of Research Notes, Research Papers and Current Issues Briefs: www.aph.gov.au/library.

The main Government Entry Site is at www.gov.au

Two of the most useful non-government Australian websites for public policy issues are:

www.apo.org.au  - Australian Policy Online - which provides regularly updated summaries of and access to papers and research from Australian institutions and the social sciences.

The Australian Review of Public Affairs (formerly known as The Drawing Board: An Australian Review of Public Affairs) -  which is an online journal of research and comment on public policy issues: www.australianreview.net.au

Most active ‘public policy think tanks’ such as The Centre for Independent Studies and The Australia Institute have their own websites and students should explore their contents. The same applies to most pressure groups such as ACOSS, Greenpeace, and The Business Council of Australia.

A number of useful and current academic papers on policy and governance are published online by the Australian and New Zealand School of Government at the ANU E-Press: http://epress.anu.edu.au/titles/anzsog.html

This unit has a unit webpage which is accessible only to currently enrolled students. Online units can be accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au

PC and Internet access are required. Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement.

Please consult teaching staff for any further, more specific requirements.

This outline of the course may be revised; see the iLearn site for details.