On Wednesday, a Senate committee took evidence in an inquiry investigating the issue of a direction from Attorney-General, George Brandis, to the solicitor-general, Justin Gleeson. By the end of the day, the shadow attorney-general, Mark Dreyfus, was calling on Brandis to resign for misleading parliament and lying to the Australian people, or for the prime...

The Abbott Government made important changes to Australia’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programs, following its election in September 2013. Large reductions in funding, foreshadowed in the Coalition’s September 2013 pre-election costings, commenced in January 2014. A further series of funding cuts were announced in the December 2014 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) and implemented...

This paper was released on 20 September 2016 to assist participants in preparing a submission to the public inquiry into Superannuation Alternative Default Models. It outlines a range of issues about which the Commission is seeking information. Initial submissions are due by Friday 28 October 2016. Opportunity for further comment will be sought upon release...

Overview In 2014, the Australian government announced the integration of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) into a single government department, including the formation of the Australian Border Force (ABF). A year after the integration began, the DIBP leadership sought an independent analysis of...

Professor Ian Harper released the final Report of the Competition Policy Review (‘the Harper Review’) on 31 March 2015, making 56 recommendations to government. On 24 November 2015, the Turnbull Government released its response to the Harper Review, supporting 39 of the recommendations either in full or in principle, and a further five recommendations in...