Capital :Canberra

Land Area : 76,86,850 sq km

Head of Government : Prime Minister John Winston Howard (since 11 March 1996)

Population : 20,090,437 (July 2005 est.)

Major Languages : English, Native Languages

Major Religion(s) : Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3% (2001 Census)

Date of Joining : 1931

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Articles in CHRI Newsletter:

• Confronting Distrust: the Case of Redfern, CHRI Newsletter, Volume 11, Number 3, Autumn 2004.
• Australia's Mandatory Detention of Asylum Seekers - An unlike model for Europe, Margaret Reynolds, National President, United Nations Association of Australia, CHRI Newsletter, Volume 9, Number 3, Winter 2002.
• Australia: Asylum Under Threat, Margaret Reynolds, Chair, International Advisory Commission, CHRI, CHRI Newsletter, Volume 9, Number 1, February 2002.
  

Articlesfrom RTI Updates:

• The Victorian Ombudsman has flagged his intention to release a discussion paper in February: link doesn't lead to article.
• The petition was initiated by Michael Mckinnon, Freedom of Information Editor, The Australian, against Treasurer Peter Costello.
• Labor to review Freedom of Information Act, Media Release, Nicola Roxon MP, Shadow Attorney-General, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on the Status of Women, 16 March 2004.
• Review by Shadow Attorney-General of the Australian Freedom of Information Act 1982, Submitted by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, March 2004.
• An article in The Australian by Michael McKinnon and Natalie O'Brien on the practical problems being confronted by users of Australia's FOI law. Click here to access.

Reports from RTI Updates:

• Click here to view the ALRC Background Paper. (11/02/2004)
• Click here to view the ALRC Discussion Paper: Protecting Classified and Security Sensitive Information. (11/02/2004)

Articles from Police Research Papers and Publications:

• Police to stop work over changes, The Australian, 12 July 2005.