Dr John Hirst is an Author and Historian at La Trobe University. He was formerly a member of the Prime Minister's Republic Advisory Committee, Chair of the Commonwealth Civics Education Group, and is currently a Council Member for the National Museum of Australia.
Constitution Education Fund
- Home
- About
- Constitution
- The Australian Constitution
- Covering Clauses
- Chapter I - The Parliament
- Chapter II - The Executive Government
- Chapter III - The Judicature
- Chapter IV - Finance and Trade
- Chapter V - The States
- Chapter VI - New States
- Chapter VII - Miscellaneous
- Chapter VIII - Alteration of the Constitution
- Schedule
- Table of Amendments
- Initiatives
- G-G Prize
- Schools
- CCF
- Reasonable and appropriate: restrictions on our rights to cross interstate borders
- Anzac Day, the Australian Spirit, shared values and coronavirus
- The rule of law during the coronavirus pandemic
- Can Australian States lock-out residents of other States?
- Is cooperative federalism all it’s cracked up to be?
- A functioning Parliament during a time of crisis
- High Court decision defines Aboriginal Australian identity
- Our Constitution and sports grants
- The role of women in federation and the writing of the Australian Constitution
- The great constitutional heist
- How quickly can the Parliament return?
- Preferential voting in Australia
- The history and role of the Governor of New South Wales
- The birth of our nation at Centennial Park
- CEFA's Winter Newsletter
- What does the Constitution say about the qualification of electors?
- Trust in government declines again
- When will we have a federal election?
- Replacing dual citizens in the Senate
- Section 44 bites again
- What next? A change of government?
- Responsible Ministers and the Constitution
- Do we have a constitutional right to protest?
- The citizenship seven
- Are the proposed new anti-terrorism laws constitutional?
- Do I really have a right to a trial by jury?
- WAxit: is a financial secession possible?
- The section 44i saga continues
- The roles of Australian and English courts with respect to the validity of executive and legislative action
- Are we in a constitutional crisis?
- The same-sex marriage survey: testing Executive Power in the High Court
- Marriage and the Constitution
- Does Australia need a Charter of Rights?
- Should the Defence Force be deployed in domestic terrorism situations?
- What is a pecuniary interest?
- Is the Constitution still relevant today?
- Could a constitutional challenge to the South Australian bank levy be successful?
- An Executive and Judicial tussle: Is this healthy for our democracy?
- Section 96 and the $900m loan to Adani
- 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum
- Rod Culleton and the Privy Council
- What does the Constitution say about receiving and spending Government funds?
- Is it Lucy Gichuhi’s Senate seat?
- Canberra and the Constitution
- Government spending powers restrained by the Constitution
- The Bob Day disqualification: Interpreting the Constitution
- How do you define democracy?
- The birth of the Constitution
- Do you think that ‘Law and order’ is the same as ‘the rule of law’?
- Who has the power to fix our power networks?
- Why are we called the ‘Commonwealth of Australia’?
- The Australian Constitution in action: redistribution of electoral boundaries
- Why do MPs have flexible three years terms in the federal Parliament?
- Why are we so outraged that our politicians get paid?
- Separation of powers on display in America
- Chief Justice Susan Kiefel sworn in on Monday
- Bail laws: once again up for debate
- Former Senator Rod Culleton’s demise: the Constitution in action
- Why didn’t New Zealand become an Australian State at Federation?
- Australian Constitution Centre: a 2017 reality at the High Court of Australia
- Referendums: Australia v Italy
- The Senate as the States House
- The double dissolution was a success
- The High Court as the ‘Court of Disputed Returns’
- A peaceful revolution or democracy working as it should?
- Why can’t a bankrupt person sit in parliament?
- What was the role of the Privy Council?
- Who is Australia’s Commander-in-Chief?
- The separation of powers and Trump’s threats to jail Clinton
- Could the NSW ban on greyhound racing be unconstitutional?
- The role of the High Court in Australian democracy
- How are resigning Senators replaced?
- Is the lack of Constitutional knowledge linked to political mistrust?
- Federal election dates: PM or people's call
- The NBN Leaks: Parliamentary privilege?
- Federalism in a changing Australia
- Are there Constitutional restrictions for a national sex offender register?
- Isn’t free speech a Constitutional right?
- Did the changes to Senate voting work?
- The NT Youth Justice Royal Commission: What can we expect?
- Democracy: Turkey v Australia
- Is electronic voting a good idea?
- Constitutional crisis or is the system working as it was designed?
- Voting critical to our democracy
- What is caretaker mode?
- The role of the Queen and the Governor-General in Australian democracy
- The Senate: do we need it?
- Dividing the Senate after a Double Dissolution
- Why aren’t young Australians interested in voting?
- Election writs: vital process, but a bit boring
- A double dissolution: the how and what
- High Court to decide constitutionality of Senate voting changes
- PNG Supreme Court rules that Manus Island detention is unconstitutional
- Voters to settle Parliamentary deadlock at likely double dissolution
- Prorogue could provoke Parliamentary revolt
- The State of Northern Queensland: A pipe dream or a reality?
- Shaking up the Federation through taxation
- An extra dose of democracy for Queenslanders
- An update: Senate voting changes
- Are politicians keeping you uninformed about the planned referendums and plebiscites?
- Are the new citizenship laws unconstitutional?
- Balancing civil liberties with the protection of the community
- CEFA’s role as a Constitutional watchdog
- Caught by surprise by section five
- Constitutional amendments in other parts of the world
- Democracy: policy not popularity
- Does international law fit within our constitutional democracy today?
- Don’t vote [insert minor party here*], it’s a wasted vote
- Double dissolution: Will he? Won’t he?
- I disagree with what you say
- Religious freedom in the Constitution
- Section 61: Could it bring offshore immigration detention crashing down?
- The great 2016 Senate marathon
- The story behind the footage of Whitlam's 'Kerr's cur' speech
- Why isn't the role of Prime Minister stipulated in the Constitution?
- Australian Constitution Centre
- Support Us
