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11 May 2026
This year’s Federal Budget is not simply a test of fiscal discipline or political priorities. It is a test of whether Australia can build the collective capabilities needed to deliver reform, adapt to disruption and remain future-ready in a more uncertain world.
Rod Glover
Rod Glover
Latest articles
8 May 2026
Australia is relying on the wrong taxes and it’s costing growth. The upcoming Federal Budget is an opportunity to begin fixing this by acting on four well-understood reforms.
Jason Nassios and Beth Webster
16 April 2026
Without public trust, AI investment won’t deliver results. Building it should be a central focus of Australia’s AI policy.
Amir Andargoli, Hassan Gholipour Fereidouni and Reza Tajaddini
8 April 2026
Australia has no shortage of ideas to tackle the housing crisis, but too few pathways to scale them into real reform. Living Labs offer a practical route from pilot to system-wide implementation.
Ehsan Noroozinejad, Greg Morrison and Barrie Harrop
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26 March 2026
Australia has made important progress in digital health, but remote communities are not yet consistently benefiting from it. Bridging this gap will require more coordinated, sustained action across infrastructure, workforce and funding.
Shakeel Mahmood
20 March 2026
Australia’s under-16 social media ban is a starting point, not an end point. The first 100 days offer early lessons on what will matter most if the policy is to work for young people.
Jo Orlando
16 March 2026
Expanding voluntary work options for younger people receiving unemployment payments could strengthen communities while offering a meaningful alternative to current employment programs.
Alex Baumann and Emily Wolfinger
100 days of Australia’s social media age restrictions: lessons for the next phase of policy
Australia’s under-16 social media ban is a starting point, not an end point. The first 100 days offer early lessons on what will matter most if the policy is to work for young people.
Let volunteering count
Expanding voluntary work options for younger people receiving unemployment payments could strengthen communities while offering a meaningful alternative to current employment programs.
Digitisation, not dehumanisation: NSW takes the lead in regulating digital work
As digital systems increasingly control how Australians work, government legislation is needed to protect employment standards and workers’ rights.
Secrecy needs a clock: integrity agencies and the problem of indefinite silence
Integrity agencies need confidentiality powers, but those powers should be subject to time limits, review mechanisms and transparency standards.
Policymakers need sovereign AI, not commercial gadgets: how we built it and what we learned
Governments are adopting AI faster than they are governing it. But what does sovereign, public-interest AI look like in practice?
Australia’s missing middle can help solve our housing crisis
Gentle density can play an important role in addressing Australia’s housing challenges. Here are three ways governments can design planning systems to deliver it at scale.
Why Australia needs a healthier information ecosystem, not just fact-checks
Fact-checking alone cannot protect democratic debate. Australia’s misinformation policy should shift from policing individual falsehoods to ensuring digital platforms provide information environments that support informed public judgment.
Perfect faces, imperfect fit: Why AI-generated campaigns miss the mark for older Australians
When AI-generated visuals are used in health, aged care, or community outreach campaigns, they risk undermining the trust of older Australians. Age-inclusive image standards and clear transparency rules can support engagement of ageing populations.
The Policymaker in 2025: our most-read articles
Another fantastic year of articles on the Policymaker which has continued to grow as a leading platform for solutions-led policy ideas sharing! Here are our five most popular articles from this year.
Protecting First Nations communities from frequent power disconnections in Australia’s hottest regions
Remote First Nations communities face extreme heat and frequent disconnections from electricity when pre-paid credit runs out. Targeted policies could prevent life-threatening outages.
