The NSW Cabinet Papers of 1990 have today been published online by NSW State Archives giving the public an insight into the detailed workings of the Greiner Government in its third year in power.
In the same year as Nelson Mandela’s release from prison and Dame Joan Sutherland’s final performance at the Sydney Opera House, the NSW Government showed no signs of slowing down on delivering wide-ranging reforms for a more efficient government.
Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin said, “the 1990 Cabinet Papers reveal the Liberal-National Party Coalition Government’s determination to deliver a more effective and transformative management of the public sector and the economy.
“The then Premier’s focus on a more accountable Cabinet and public service remains the basis of good Government practice today and these archived papers bear witness to all that was achieved in that year.”
State Archives’ Executive Director, Adam Lindsay said that the Cabinet Papers again this year, reveal how the issues of 30 years ago resonate with us today. “At a time when we are now encouraging people to work longer, the Cabinet Papers reveal that this is nothing new and that the ground was laid for such initiatives three decades ago,” Mr Lindsay said.
Significant Cabinet decisions made in 1990 included:
- Education
- introduction of the Education Reform Act
- Industrial Relations
– reforms to reflect a market-oriented approach to industrial relations
- Parliamentary and Electoral Reform
– a return of the size of the Legislative Assembly to 99 and the
– subsequent redistribution of electoral boundaries
- Environment and Planning
- establishment of a new Coastal Protection Policy,
- establishment of the Environment Protection Authority
- Social issues:
- approval of access to adoption information for adult adopted persons
- and the abolition of compulsory retirement
Click here to access the digitised 1990 Cabinet Papers.