Cabinet paper release
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.
- by Shane Wright and Matthew Knott
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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.
- by 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.
- by Matthew Knott, Olivia Ireland and Shane Wright
The ‘once-only’ opportunity to expand Australia’s size by almost 50 per cent
Cabinet documents reveal the Howard government moved quickly to lock in a claim over huge areas of the seabed across the Pacific, Indian and Southern oceans, including key areas off Australia’s Antarctic territory.
- by Shane Wright
Editorial
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Cabinet papers on Iraq War decision MIA
Almost 21 years after the Howard government decided to go to war in Iraq, the cabinet documents regarding the decision should be in the public domain.
- The Herald's View
Ex-ASIO chief called in after 11th hour discovery of missing Iraq War secret papers
On March 18, 2003, John Howard committed Australia to war in Iraq, but the key advice relied upon by the national security committee is missing from recently released cabinet papers.
- by Shane Wright
Why John Howard intervened to kill the emissions trading scheme his cabinet wanted
Cabinet documents reveal the Howard government went close to supporting a carbon price in 2003. They also show why it was killed off.
- by Shane Wright
The ‘sneaky’ language that failed to stop medical research with embryos
A contentious argument within the Howard government over unused IVF embryos pitted conservatives and liberals against each other.
- by Shane Wright
‘No evidence’ of threat to Australia months ahead of Bali bombings
Cabinet papers from 2002 reveal the Howard government grappling with terror-related issues, including the devastating Bali bombings.
- by Shane Wright
Howard government moved quickly on claims against David Hicks
New cabinet documents show that within three months of the capture of David Hicks, the Howard government was planning to stop him selling his story.
- by Shane Wright
Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/topic/cabinet-paper-release-1ncp