Opinion

Our new spirit of national unity was always make-believe

John Warhurst
Updated July 2 2021 - 3:16am, first published September 10 2020 - 4:30am
The national cabinet was initially seen as the herald of a new era, not just for federal-state relations but for partisan politics. What happened? Picture: Getty Images
The national cabinet was initially seen as the herald of a new era, not just for federal-state relations but for partisan politics. What happened? Picture: Getty Images

The national cabinet, the regular meeting of the Prime Minister and the six state premiers and two territory chief ministers, set up to be a decision-making body through which the nation could address the COVID-19 pandemic, was never a true cabinet. Rather it took over from the Council of Australian Governments, which itself took over from the old Premiers Conference, as a collaborative vehicle to address governance in the federation.

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John Warhurst

John Warhurst

Canberra Times columnist

John Warhurst is an emeritus professor of political science at the Australian National University and a regular columnist for The Canberra Times.

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