Research
Hawker Britton's occasional papers provide in-depth analysis on the most important public policy issues of the day, across Australia. You can view the Research & Papers Archive here.
National Health and Medical Research Strategy 2026-2036
22/05/2026The Australian Government has announced a record investment of $508.5 million over four years to transform health and medical research in Australia, alongside the release of the National Health and Medical Research Strategy 2026–2036. The investment and strategy were announced concurrently, with the Budget commitment designed to provide immediate resourcing in support of the Strategy’s… Continue reading National Health and Medical Research Strategy 2026-2036
Consultation on the Universities Accord Bill
22/05/2026On 08 May 2026, targeted consultation on the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill began. This Bill will implement two changes to university funding by implementing a Managed Growth Funding system and Needs-Based Funding. These are recommendations of the Universities Accord (the Accord), delivered in 2023, and follow the establishment of the Australian… Continue reading Consultation on the Universities Accord Bill
Further Reform to the Foreign Investment Framework
21/05/2026On Tuesday 19 May 2026, Treasurer the Hon. Jim Chalmers announced the Albanese Labor Government will be making further changes to the Foreign Investment Framework. This second round of foreign investment reforms is all about making more improvements, so the regime is much stronger where risks are high and much faster where risks are low. The reforms build on the… Continue reading Further Reform to the Foreign Investment Framework
Consultation on the National Environmental Standard for Environmental Offsets
19/05/2026On 08 May 2026, the federal government opened consultation on the draft of the National Environmental Standard for Environmental Offsets (Environmental Offsets Standard). This follows a previous release of a draft Environmental Offsets Standard which was published for consultation from November 2025 to January 2026. The current exposure draft has been developed based on feedback… Continue reading Consultation on the National Environmental Standard for Environmental Offsets
2026-27 Federal Budget
13/05/2026On Tuesday 12 May, Treasurer the Hon. Jim Chalmers MP delivered the 2026-27 Federal Budget, marking the fifth budget under the Albanese government. This Budget has been delivered during a period of global economic uncertainty and domestic cost-of-living pressures. Shifting geopolitical conditions and volatile international markets continue to influence Australia’s economic environment, informing the Government’s… Continue reading 2026-27 Federal Budget