The Public Sector in Jeopardy: Australian Fiscal Federalism from Whitlam to Keating (1997)

'If you want to know anything about the last 25 years of government, this is the book you should have on your shelf.’
Professor Bob Gregory, National Press Club Address, 18 June 1997

This book reviews the evolution of federalism in Australia during the period of the Whitlam, Fraser, Hawke and Keating Governments – a period of profound change in the state of the economy, in public finances and in political institutions and processes. It reviews the upheavals in those areas, charting the performance of successive governments and documenting the successes and failures of their economic policies.

A central theme of the book is the way in which these governments contributed to the decline of the public sector and to the retreat from genuine federalism in Australia. The study is also a reminder to Australians to be more vigilant about the country's political processes and economic policies as they look to the future. The book is timely in raising and examining issues which will grow in importance as Australia celebrates the centenary of federation. 

By Russell Mathews and Bhajan Grewal
Published 1997 A$49.95 ISBN 1-875338-96-9
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Russell Mathews was Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University, where he was Professor of Accounting and Public Finance and, later, Director of the Centre for Research on Fiscal Financial Relations. He was a member of the Commonwealth Grants Commission for many years.

Bhajan Grewal was Professor and Deputy Director in the Centre for Strategic Economic Studies at Victoria University, Melbourne. He is now Professorial Fellow there. Previously, he has been a Research Fellow at the Australian National University, Dean of Faculty of Commerce and Economics at James Cook University of North Queensland and Director of Inter-governmental Financial Relations in the Victorian Government.

Table of contents

PART ONE Introduction
1. Background to Economic and Fiscal Change: The Australian Economy 1969-1972

PART TWO The Whitlam Years – A Vision That Failed
2. The Economy and Government Budgets
3. Parliaments, the Constitution and the Judicature
4. Intergovernmental Fiscal Arrangements
5. Executive Government and Intergovernmental Administrative Arrangements

PART THREE The Fraser Years – Unsuccessful Attempts to Reform Monetary, Fiscal and Federalism Policies
6. The Economy and Government Budgets
7. Parliaments, the Constitution and the Judicature
8. Intergovernmental Fiscal Arrangements
9. Executive Government and Intergovernmental Administrative Arrangements

PART FOUR The Hawke-Keating Years – The Failure of Radical Economic Policies and the Erosion of the Public Sector 
10. The Economy and Government Budgets
11. Parliaments, the Constitution and the Judicature
12. Intergovernmental Fiscal Arrangements
13. Executive Government and Intergovernmental Administrative Arrangements

PART FIVE Economy in Decline, Federalism in Retreat
14. Fiscal Federalism 1972-73 to 1994-95: Comparative Appraisal