OECD countries face rising public debt, ageing populations, and growing demands on health, social care and defence. Effective budgeting is critical to ensure sustainable public finances. This report highlights the importance of transparency, parliamentary oversight, and collaboration between finance ministries and line ministries – helping governments spend better for long-term impact.

The Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025 aims to reduce system inefficiencies, provide clarity of the law and address perceived abuse of processes in the existing freedom of information framework. This paper outlines the purpose and structure of the Bill, its background, the policy position of non-government parties and independents, and key issues and provisions.

Six months after its 2025 re-election, the Australian Government faces serious integrity challenges. This report card assesses the Government’s actions – and inaction – across key democratic safeguards: transparency, merit-based appointments, limits on undue influence, strengthening the public service and support for the institutions that hold power to account. The paper urges the Government to...

This report finds Australia's freedom of information (FOI) system is dysfunctional, making it very difficult for Australians to get information out of government. It notes that the changes proposed in the Australian Government’s Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025 would exacerbate problems in the system, concluding that government secrecy is the cause of the problems.

The study measures the Australian public’s awareness of their right to access government information and their experiences and outcomes when exercising that right. The findings suggest a need for increased efforts to raise awareness about the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth).