A culture of secrecy is taking hold in Canberra
The refusal to release the Pezzullo investigation report highlights a culture of secrecy across the public service and government.
Recent articles in Policy
9 April 2026
Unwinding the capital gains tax folly
Tax concessions on property and capital gains have driven housing inequality and distorted the market, and fixing them requires structural reform – not Budget tinkering.
8 April 2026
Reform requires trust – and trust requires openness
Economic reform depends on public trust – and that trust is being undermined by declining transparency, weak accountability and limited public engagement.
2 April 2026
Australia’s under-16 social media ban is facing early limits
Australia’s under-16 social media ban has removed millions of accounts, but compliance gaps, loopholes and unanswered questions remain.
1 April 2026
The fuel crisis won’t save the Coalition. It might finish them
Cost-of-living pressure will not automatically shift votes to the Coalition, as culturally aligned voters begin drifting toward alternatives that project conviction and stability.
1 April 2026
Fuel crisis exposes decades of policy failure
Australia’s fuel crisis may have been triggered by global conflict – but it reflects decades of political failure to reduce oil dependence and plan for transition.
31 March 2026
When charity no longer means need
Australia’s charitable framework now rewards compliance over need, allowing well-resourced institutions and contested activities to sit alongside genuine relief of disadvantage.
30 March 2026
Labor’s caution is becoming a barrier to progress
A political culture of caution and bipartisanship is limiting the government’s ability to act on major issues including human rights, climate and social cohesion.
30 March 2026
Half the truth: defending public education requires more honesty, not less
Criticism of public schools is not entirely wrong – but by ignoring unequal conditions, it misdiagnoses the problem and misplaces responsibility.
30 March 2026
Tax reform isn’t enough – Australia needs an economic reset
Tax reform is necessary, but on its own it cannot fix an economy shaped by housing speculation, resource dependence and weak productivity.
29 March 2026
Environment: Industry’s carbon capture fantasy is climate action’s nightmare
Carbon capture and storage continues to fail for the climate but keeps fossil fuels and profits flowing. Renewables are taking over the US power system despite Trump.
28 March 2026
Batteries and electrification buy time on gas
Falling gas demand and a surge in batteries and electrification have delayed forecast supply shortfalls – but only for now.
27 March 2026
Underfunded public schools, overfunded private ones – the gap grows
Private schools are pulling further ahead as funding policies deepen inequality across Australia’s education system.
