Industrial relations regulation in Australia is an historical anomaly. It is highly prescriptive and complex, with substantial third party involvement. The economic shocks of COVID-19, and the associated government responses, have rendered aspects of our industrial relations regulations unworkable. This paper proposes some solutions.

This research paper describes and contextualises the kinds of powers used by the Victorian and Commonwealth governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is intended as both a resource that captures the emergency response to COVID-19 and a primer on some of the wider issues related to that response.

In April 2020, the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee commenced an inquiry into the Victorian Government’s response to the COVID‑19 pandemic. This interim report outlines the committee's preliminary findings.

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.

As the COVID-19 crisis began to escalate in Australia, a new institution, the National Cabinet, emerged. This policy brief sets out the National Cabinet’s establishment, structure, and achievements, before turning to key issues requiring attention, concerning the effectiveness, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability of this new institutional arrangement.