The Parliamentary Research Unit conducts world-leading research into parliaments and the people who work and visit them. We seek to understand how parliamentary cultures develop and how they can be reformed to improve safety, access, representation and public trust. Our research has shaped reform of parliaments in Australia and around the world.
We work with current and former Members of Parliament (MPs), clerks and parliamentary officers to develop deeper understanding about parliamentary culture. Our research seeks to shape reform of parliaments to strengthen democratic outcomes.
Parliamentary culture is shaped by traditions, norms and procedures. It is also shaped by the behaviour of the people who work there and external factors, like the socio-economic conditions and media landscape. In recent decades, some parliaments have introduced codes of conduct, ethics training and similar frameworks to improve standards. Our research seeks to evaluate what works and what change is possible moving forward in parliamentary culture.
Parliamentarians' personal backgrounds and experiences contribute to parliamentary workplace culture. In addition, political parties bring their own internal cultures and independents come with a different set of expectations and experiences. Our research seeks to better understand diversity and its barriers, and the careers of parliamentarians, to enable a deeper understanding of how cultures are formed within parliament and how they can be changed.
When you study a PhD or research degree with Deakin, you'll be supported by renowned researchers in your field.
Democracy depends on healthy parliamentary workplaces. We all benefit when parliaments are safe, diverse and accessible, and our representatives can perform at their highest standards.
Associate Professor Amy Nethery
The Parliamentary Research Unit is a small team of political scientists. They are supported by an advisory group of scholars, former members of parliament and former clerks.
Associate Professor Amy Nethery is a political sociologist with expertise on public policy. She has a track-record of leading strong teams to deliver impactful scholarship and implement policy change.
Associate Professor Zim Nwokora is a political scientist specialising in the comparative study of political institutions, especially constitutions, political parties and political finance. Zim’s research aims to improve political structure to achieve better governance.
Dr Peter Ferguson convenes the Politics and International Relations discipline. His research focusses on the political barriers to moving toward a socially just and ecologically sustainable global economy.
Andrew Young is a research fellow and former Clerk of the Legislative Council and Clerk of the Parliaments, Victoria.
Our funded research programs seek to understand parliamentary workplaces and support parliamentary reform.
Commissioned by the Parliament of Victoria in conjunction with the Victorian Parliamentary Former Members Association, the Transitioning to Life after Parliament project investigated the experiences of former MPs. Our recommendations have changed parliamentary procedures in Australia and internationally.
Commissioned by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, we drew on international best practice and research with parliaments to produce the Standards for Codes of Conduct for Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Workplace. This work informs the development of codes of conduct in 180 Commonwealth parliaments worldwide.
Growing concern about integrity in Australian public life has led to the creation of anticorruption agencies by federal and state parliaments. Overseeing the overseers seeks to examine the the oversight of anticorruption agencies in Australia to understand what role the parliaments should play.
Collaborations are central to our work. We actively engage with a range of domestic and international partners, including national and sub-national parliaments, former members associations and intra-parliamentary associations. Key partners include:
Take an in-depth look at our latest research, available in a variety of formats and publications. For a full list of publications visit the profile pages of our researchers.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Standards for Codes of Conduct for Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Workplace: Research Report, Young A, Nwokora Z, Nethary A, Ferguson P, McDonald A
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Standards for Codes of Conduct for Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Workplace, Young A, Nethary A, Ferguson P, Nwokora Z
Transitional Support for Former Members of Parliament: Benchmarks for ‘Professional Parliaments’, Ferguson P, Nethery A, Nwokora Z
Politics as a transitory vocation: a case study of the post-parliamentary challenges experienced by former Victorian MPs, Ferguson P, Nethery A, Nwokora Z
Transitioning to Life after Parliament, Ferguson P, Nethery A, Nwokora Z, Clarke M
We’d love to hear from you! If you’re interested in our research or want to stay updated on the latest developments, email our team.
Email Associate Professor Amy Nethery
61 3 9246 8988
