Productive reform in a federal system

The federal structure of Australia's political system significantly influences many areas of public policy and their implementation. The current state of federalism and the scope for improving the operation of Australia's federation have been prominent and, at times, controversial topics of debate.

In October 2005, the Productivity Commission organised a high-level roundtable on Productive Reform in a Federal System to provide an opportunity for key national reform issues to be discussed in the lead-up to the Council of Australian Governments meeting held in February 2006.

As the Chairman of the Commission, Gary Banks, observed in opening the Roundtable, 'federal systems of government have some important strengths and can be conducive to beneficial policy innovation. They can also give rise to inefficiencies and coordination failures, such as when functions are not well allocated or governance is not well designed. Our federal system is here to stay, so the important thing is to get the best out of it.'

The Roundtable drew together senior government officials, consultants, academics and representatives from industry and community groups. Discussion focussed on issues associated with the design and effective operation of federal systems, opportunities for improving outcomes in the specific areas of health, the labour market and freight transport, and ideas about the best ways forward.

The Productive Reform in a Federal System proceedings include papers by the speakers, responses by discussants and panellists, and summaries of matters raised in general discussions.

Further information

02 6240 3330 / media@pc.gov.au