The Grattan Institute’s John Daley writes in The Conversation (12.7.16) about the economic and legislative challenges facing the returned Turnbull government, and what should be its policy priorities now that the election result has been decided.
‘Australia has a new government. After an eight-week campaign, and a week of watching the count, its members will doubtless be delighted to switch from electioneering to governing. Their first and most important task is to choose their priorities.
‘What problems and opportunities face the government? And what can it do about them? This article, the first in a series for The Conversation, draws on the Grattan Institute’s recently released Orange Book 2016 to identify priorities for policy reform.
‘Above all, the government needs to promote economic growth in a sluggish global economy, and bring the budget back under control. Government should put a priority on those reforms that will make the biggest difference to the economy, to peoples’ lives, and to the budget. Priorities also need to take account of political realities. Top of the list should be those measures that either don’t require parliamentary approval, or where there is some chance of support from either the Labor Party or the Greens, given that mustering a Senate majority from among the independent Senators will mostly prove impossible.’