Briefing Book, Research

Briefing Book Articles

Key issues for the 47th Parliament

The Parliamentary Library Briefing Book provides short analyses of issues that may be considered over the course of this Parliament. Each article gives a high-level perspective of significant public policy issues, covering background, context and legislative history, as well as some of the policy and legislative directions raised in the public debate.

Featured categories

Australia in numbers
Climate change and emissions reduction
Natural disasters and climate risk
Oceans and the blue economy
Protecting the Great Barrier Reef
Reform of Australia’s national environmental law
Water, including the Murray-Darling Basin
Australian government debt in historical and international perspective
Australian trade in figures
Rising inflation and macro-economic balance
Extent of inequality and disadvantage in Australia
Trends in wage movements, gender wage gaps and the minimum wage
Coal, gas and decarbonisation – challenges and policy choices
Global trade risks and opportunities
Impact of COVID-19 on the Australian labour market
Housing market interventions
Science and research
Regulating the ‘gig’ economy as a form of employment
Australia’s productivity slowdown
Australia’s cost of living
Electricity sector: continuing modernisation
Superannuation after 30 years
Australia’s population: recent changes
Immigration
Aged Care
COVID-19: impacts on health and the Australian health system
Funding the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Mental health
Health workforce
Indigenous Constitutional Recognition and Representation
Closing the Gap
Protecting Indigenous cultural heritage
People with disability and work
School education
Tertiary education and COVID-19 recovery
Social security and family assistance
Where to for Income Management and the Cashless Debit Card?
National security overview
Australia's security relationships
Australia and India
Australia-China relations
Australia-Japan relations
Pacific Islands – key issues
Refugees and asylum seekers
Right-wing extremism in Australia
The ongoing militarisation of space
The threat of ransomware
War crimes in Afghanistan: the Brereton Report and the Office of the Special Investigator
National integrity commission
Parliamentary workplace reform
Constitutional Reform
Australian Human Rights Commission
Commonwealth human biosecurity powers
Next steps for National Cabinet
Political finance
The Australian Government public sector
Australia in Numbers