This report analyses the effectiveness of the revised approach to Commonwealth-State relations through National Cabinet adopted in the COVID-19 crisis, and actions that should now be taken to lock in its long-term effectiveness.

This report builds on previous CEDA research, including A Federation for the 21st Century (2014) and Sustainable Budgets (2019). Effective Commonwealth-state collaboration is critical to progress in areas the community cares about most – health, housing, education and justice, and sits at the core of many of the recommendations in the Productivity Commission’s Shifting the Dial report, aimed at lifting Australia’s lacklustre productivity performance.

This report explores four key areas:

1. Assessing the success of National Cabinet
2. Future risks to National Cabinet
3. Setting up National Cabinet for success
4. A fit for purpose agenda of work