This issues paper is intended as a guide to those interested in making a submission to the Government 2.0 taskforce currently underway.

This paper describes and seeks comment on legislative proposals to support the establishment and implementation of national healthcare identifiers and enhanced arrangements for the privacy of health information. E-Health All Australian governments recognise the potential benefits of changing how information is accessed and shared across the healthcare system through the use of electronic communication and...

In its final report to government the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission outlined three options for reforming the structure of the Australian health system. The third option, discussed in this paper, proposed a fundamental restructure of the Australian health system. The proposal, called Medicare Select, was foreshadowed in the Commission’s interim report (where it...

This background note provides an overview of rises in private health insurance premiums in recent years, outlines possible reasons for these increases and for variations among individual funds, and outlines recent changes to the regulation of private health insurance. Each year the Health Minister announces the average increase for health insurance premiums following the Government’s...

Parliamentary salaries, allowances and entitlements generate public discussion and attract media opinion. This background note provides relevant data, hyperlinks and documents on the remuneration of Australian federal parliamentarians. It explains the legislative basis, fixing and linking mechanisms for salaries and allowances, and those entitlements that are reported such as travel and electorate allowances. Links to...