Population boom caught the Howard government by surprise

Population boom caught the Howard government by surprise

Cabinet papers reveal the Howard government was warned of huge budget problems. But they were based on a major population miscalculation.

  • byShane Wright

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What happened inside the cabinet room in 2001

What happened inside the cabinet room in 2001

Today on Please Explain,senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Nathanael Cooper to look at some highlights of this year’s cabinet papers.

  • byNathanael Cooper
The celebrity the Howard government didn’t want you to see

The celebrity the Howard government didn’t want you to see

The Howard government grappled with the controversial visa application of rapper Eminem but while not many men could stop boxer Mike Tyson,the then prime minister managed it.

  • byRob Harris
Fears in Howard government that US position on climate change would stop global efforts

Fears in Howard government that US position on climate change would stop global efforts

Previously secret cabinet documents from 2001 also showed concerns that Australia’s high per capita greenhouse gas emissions could be exposed by global debate on climate action.

  • byShane Wright
Red peril:the $123 million dollar insect scourge

Red peril:the $123 million dollar insect scourge

Red fire ants,a particularly nasty insect,were found in Brisbane in 2001. The Howard government hoped to eradicate the threat in five years ... that was 20 years ago.

  • byShane Wright
From St Patrick to the Bastille:a swing in the Howard government’s chances

From St Patrick to the Bastille:a swing in the Howard government’s chances

The political fortunes of the Howard government turned between St Patrick’s Day and Bastille Day in 2001,but at a huge financial cost to the federal budget.

  • byShane Wright
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The long game:Howard says Australia must wait out China aggressiveness

The long game:Howard says Australia must wait out China aggressiveness

Former prime minister John Howard enjoyed a strong relationship with former Chinese president Jiang Zemin,but he now says Australia will have to wait for change in China.

  • byShane Wright
John Howard warned of flood of boat arrivals weeks before the Tampa affair,cabinet records reveal

John Howard warned of flood of boat arrivals weeks before the Tampa affair,cabinet records reveal

What became known as the Tampa affair was one of the most controversial episodes of the Howard government - and it redefined the politics of immigration.

  • byRob Harris
2001:The year Howard drew a line in the sand and transformed Australia
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John Howard

2001:The year Howard drew a line in the sand and transformed Australia

John Howard and his government looked doomed. But then came events that changed everything,including hardening the way Australia saw its place in the world.

  • byTony Wright
From pen and paper to Wickr:the battle to save government decisions

From pen and paper to Wickr:the battle to save government decisions

Agencies from the National Archives to the Auditor-General are struggling to track government communications in the time of WhatsApp and Wickr.

  • byShane Wright
Howard government faced public outrage over treatment of residents in aged care homes

Howard government faced public outrage over treatment of residents in aged care homes

The so-called'kerosene baths scandal'dogged the Howard government for months and exposed flaws in the regulation of aged care homes.

  • byRob Harris