Cabinet paper release
Confidential advice undercooked climate change to Howard government
Cabinet briefings in 2005 warned of climate change, but did not anticipate the scale and severity of the impacts now playing out.
- Mike Foley
Latest
The $42m plan that nearly killed Roma Street Parkland
A secret 1995 plan would have traded Brisbane CBD’s “lungs” for luxury units, but a feared political backlash saved Roma Street Parkland.
- Cameron Atfield
Cabinet papers reveal Howard warned of disaster risk before rejecting Kyoto Protocol
Speaking at the release of the 2005 cabinet papers, former minister Philip Ruddock said the government had extensive scientific research about the consequences of unchecked emissions.
- Rob Harris
The six weeks that would destroy John Howard’s prime ministership
In a six-week period, the Howard government made two decisions that would reverberate through Australian politics for the next 20 years.
- Shane Wright
He crushed Latham in 2004, but unlocked cabinet papers reveal the problems Howard could not fix
John Howard’s victory at the 2004 election remains one of federal politics’ most remarkable achievements. But cabinet papers from that year show it was the start of the end.
- Shane Wright
House prices were already spiralling in 2004: Here’s what Howard and Costello did about it
In 2004, house prices in every capital city were surging to unaffordable levels. The Howard cabinet considered its options – and did nothing.
- Shane Wright
Staying the course: Howard rolled Defence plan to cut Iraq presence
Seven months after the invasion of Iraq, the Defence Department said it was time to cut Australia’s troop presence. Secret documents reveal how the plan was thwarted.
- Shane Wright and Matthew Knott
- Editorial
- For subscribers
Bureaucratic amnesia forgets freedom of information
The discovery of a cache of sensitive federal cabinet documents that had been forgotten and left lying around gathering dust for more than 40 years is possibly even too far-fetched for political satire.
- The Herald's View
Secret government papers disappeared decades ago. They turned up in a dusty corner of parliament
Like a scene from The Office, highly secret cabinet documents were forgotten and left to collect dust in safes inside one the country’s most important departments.
- Shane Wright and Olivia Ireland
Albanese wants ex-spy chief to find out if missing 2003 Iraq war papers were a cover-up
Slamming the discovery of the extra documents just before Christmas, the prime minister said there was no reason why the documents should not be made public.
- Matthew Knott, Olivia Ireland and Shane Wright