Speeches
Bligh A (2008). New Federalism: The role of the States in governing the nation.
Inaugural ANZSOG Public Lecture in Queensland (Brisbane, 4 July). Link to Word (68 KB)
In the first of a series of public lectures commissioned by the Australia and New Zealand School of Government, Queensland Premier, the Honourable Anna Bligh MP, explores what the era of ‘new federalism’, the National Reform Agenda, and a greater role for COAG means for the states, particularly Queensland.
Brumby J (2005). In the national interest: a new Cooperative Federalism
Address to Melbourne Institute Sustaining Prosperity Conference, Melbourne: 1 April 2005
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Then Victorian Treasurer, John Brumby made a strong plea for a broad reform agenda to increase productivity and participation, requiring Commonwealth and State Governments to cooperate.
Brumby J (2008). Address to National Press Club of Australia.
(18 November). Link to HTML
Against the backdrop of the global financial crisis, Victorian Premier, the Honourable John Brumby MP, argues:
A tougher global economy is an opportunity… for Cooperative Federalism—for State, Territory and Commonwealth leaders to roll up our sleeves and work together on the challenges we face today, and to build the next era of economic prosperity…
To get more out of Australian Federalism, it needs to be designed not merely to carve up the pie, but to keep growing it.
Brumby J (2008). Address to ANZSOG: Making Federalism Work Conference.
Melbourne: 11 September. Link to HTML
Victorian Premier, the Honourable John Brumby MP (then Chair of CAF), in his address to the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) conference, poses the question:
Does a system of government drawn up at the end of the 19th century and activated at the dawn of the 20th century still have currently in the 21st century?
In a word: Yes. Federalism does work. It is a robust and flexible system that has stood the test of time and made us one of the world’s most stable democracies.
Professor Geoff Gallop, former Premier of Western Australia (2001 to 2006) and one of CAF’s founding members, is now Director of the Graduate School of Government at the University of Sydney and Deputy Director of the COAG Reform Council.
Gallop G (2008), New partnerships and social compacts to enhance federalism.
Address to the ANZSOG Annual Conference 2008, Melbourne, 11 September.
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Introduction
In my talk today I will start by making a general point about how we ought to approach questions related to governance and our federal system. I will contrast what I will call the pragmatic and philosophical outlooks and link this to an assessment of federalism.
In the second place I will examine the way our federal system dealt with the microeconomic reform agenda which emerged as a dominant theme in the 1990s. Using the lessons from that era I will look at the problem and prospects associated with the Rudd government’s productivity ad participation reform agenda. I will argue that there are important differences in context and policy that will make partnerships with the community and a stronger commitment to fairness vital ingredients in the reform effort.
Gallop G (2008), Australia’s productivity and participation reform agenda
OECD Forum 2008, Paris, 3 June
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Professor Gallop argues:
If co-operative federalism represents the governance framework for the reform agenda, a life-cycle approach represents it intellectual framework. This means putting in place specific policies and programs to deal with each of the key transition points in a person’s life, such as the early years, schooling, and transition from school to work and from work to retirement.
Gallop G (2007), Public policy and the impact of federal state relations.
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Paper delivered at the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia Workshop, “Combating Social Exclusion through Joined Up Policy: Addressing Social Inclusion through Whole-of-Government Approaches”, Adelaide, 29 November.
Extract
Federalism offers significant benefits to its citizens. It provides for innovation through competition and institutionalises checks and balances at the heart of government. However, the Australian experience has shown that none of this means that co-operation and co-ordination across the system is not possible.
Indeed, what is unique about the system is the mix of co-operation and competition that has been developed. This has provided the base for significant public policy innovation at the highest and lowest levels of government.
Gallop G (2007), The future of federalism.
Keynote address, Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA), Perth, Western Australia (19 September).
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In this speech, Geoff Gallop defends the states against perceptions of a centralised form of federation in which the states are increasingly perceived as service deliverer on behalf of the Commonwealth.
There are a number of aspects of this style of thinking that particularly bothers me.
Firstly, it encourages an uncritical approach to the Commonwealth and its work. The habit is developed of thinking that the Commonwealth represents the “national” interest and the states “parochialism”. Surely these are claims that need to be proven in each case, they can’t be assumed.
Secondly, many of the historical claims are questionable. State loyalties are still part of the architecture of politics and state governments are still important in managing globalisation in ways that would be impossible for central governments. The presence of state governments obliges a central government to negotiate its global strategies in ways that can help assure the public that it is a process that serves their interests rather than undermines them. We need always to remember that the legitimating functions of government are very important, particularly in the context of social and economic change.
Thirdly, it needs to be said that whilst the federal idea is heavily contested, the states are often on the back foot, and Commonwealth power and influence has grown we still have a complex system of power relations unlike those that prevail in a unitary system.
Swan W (2008). Modern Federalism not Creeping Centralism.
Address to the Institute of Public Administration Queensland Breakfast, Brisbane, 30 July. Link to HTML
Commonwealth Treasurer, the Honourable Wayne Swan MP, outlines the new architecture for Commonwealth-State relations in terms of the evolving new federal financial structure:
The new architecture of Commonwealth-State financial relations has, and will continue to be, a great enabler of policy change. It will underpin policy reform in the same way than an architect's designs are integral to building a great building. It will provide a point of coherence and certainty, while still leaving room for innovation and policy entrepreneurship at the State level.