The Centre is the University's newest site for those interested in Australian politics. Recently established in the School of Politics and International Relations, the Centre will promote greater public interest in the structure of political debate in Australia through:

• Public events bridging academic and political communities.
• Championing the University’s academic courses in the broad field of Australian politics.
• Attracting Honours students to research topics in Australian politics.
• Building new research communities of emerging PhD scholars.
• Workshops and conferences exploring academic themes around the study of politics in Australia.

The contest for ideas is at the heart of the Centre’s mission. The Centre has subsumed the former ANU Centre for Parliamentary Studies and will continue to relate the drama of parliamentary politics to wider public interest in public policy and political leadership.

The Centre’s web pages provide a valuable resource for those interested in digging deeper into Australian politics. The Centre will promote fresh intellectual analysis of the trends behind the headline news, drawing on the sharpest minds that ANU can muster. Those interested in examining the big ideas driving the way politics is practised, debated and analysed will turn to the Centre for:

• International perspectives on trends in Australian politics, commissioned from global experts with reputations for hard-hitting commentary and analysis.
• Reviews of the challenging ideas in the latest books on Australian politics.
• Advice about teaching resources available from the political science community at  ANU.
• Invitations to public events exploring strengths and weaknesses in Australian politics.
• The latest academic research from ANU scholars on Australian politics.
• Assistance about engaging in personal research under academic supervision.
• Guidance on the wealth of ANU resources and programs relating to Australian politics.

Australian intellectual life lacks a dedicated space for stimulating informed discussion of the agenda of ideas related to political life in Australia. The Centre will bring together the best analysts studying the developing character of national politics. Including those best placed to identify what is internationally distinctive and interesting about the way that politics is conducted in Australia. Political competition is at its best when it is a contest of ideas and the Centre can help as a new broker of ideas in the study of Australian politics.