The Prime Minister has announced a new National Federation Reform Council (NFRC) to replace Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meetings, with National Cabinet to remain at the centre of the NFRC. National Cabinet will focus specifically on job creation in response to the #covid-19 pandemic. The NFRC has been agreed to by Premiers, Chief Ministers and the Prime Minister.

National Cabinet will continue to meet regularly and be briefed directly by experts to inform decision making. During the COVID-19 epidemic, National Cabinet will meet every two weeks via telepresence, but it is foreseen that in the future, meetings will take place once a month. The Council on Federal Financial Relations (CFFR), consisting of Commonwealth Treasurers, will report to National Cabinet. Taskforces will continue in critical areas, including the taskforce on women’s safety and domestic violence and the Indigenous affairs taskforce, with a particular focus on Closing the Gap. Once a year, National Cabinet, the CFFR and the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) will meet in person as the National Federation Reform Council to focus on priority national issues. It is intended that the new model will streamline processes, enabling improved collaboration, communication and effectiveness.

Further updates available at Effective Commonwealth-State Relations.