This series of briefing papers details the new budget's impact on a range of policy areas. These policy briefs are being gradually uploaded by the Parliamentary Library as of 17 May 2013. The areas they cover include: Agriculture Arts and media and sport Climate change, energy and the environment Commonwealth-State relations Corporate governance Defence Education...

'Sustainability' is invoked as a desirable objective in a range of contexts, yet its meaning is not always clear. Sustainability can imply vastly different policy responses depending on interpretation, particularly in relation to the degree to which environmental and other resources should be consumed over time. Using an economic framework, this paper illustrates possible interpretations...

This report evaluates the operation, effectiveness and implications of key Commonwealth, state and territory counter-terrorism laws. At a Special Meeting on counterterrorism on 27 September 2005, Council of Australian Governments (COAG) reached agreement that “it was appropriate for newly introduced counterterrorism laws to be formally reviewed after a period of five years.” Subsequently, at a...

On 7 February 2013 the Senate referred the following matter to the Senate Community Affairs Committee for inquiry and report: (a) the supply of chemotherapy drugs such as Docetaxel, particularly in relation to: (i) patient access to treatment, (ii) cost to pharmacists and suppliers, and (iii) cost to the private and public hospital systems; (b)...

Sustainable Australia Report 2013: conversations with the future provides a picture of Australia - what we look like and who we are. It tells the story of how we have changed as a nation over the last 30 years. We have made great progress in many areas. Australians are living longer, our health and levels...