The Politics of NGOs: Empowering Marginal Groups in a Climate of Micro-management and Distrust.

This article reports on non-government organisations (NGOs) in Australia and their relation to the government of former Prime Minister John Howard. Typically, NGOs in Australia serve to represent minority and marginal groups that need advocacy. The article discusses how these groups were challenged by Howard's policies and changed under his government's leadership. The article also discusses how Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is expected to interact with NGOs during his tenure starting in 2007. Information is provided on diversity and democracy in Australia, as well as volunteers, advocacy restrictions, and governing through communities.