The Public Service Amendment Bill proposes to centralise Long-Term Insights Briefings, currently produced independently by each government department, into a single report led by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. While these briefings are designed to provide neutral, long-term analysis to inform public debate, this change risks concentrating control and reducing the diversity of insights available.
In our submission, the Taxpayers’ Union opposed full centralisation and instead proposed a balanced, “middle-ground” approach. We recommended collaborative, sector-based briefings led by departments but coordinated by DPMC, preserving independence while improving quality and reducing duplication. This ensures expertise is retained without the inefficiencies seen in the current system.
Centralising these reports would dilute specialised knowledge, weaken transparency, and limit informed policy debate. Independent briefings help hold governments accountable and ensure long-term risks are openly examined, something that becomes harder when analysis is consolidated under a single agency.
