By Andrew Brown in Canberra

Federal cabinet papers from 2005 have been released to the public, shining fresh light on the decisions of then-prime minister John Howard and his ministers.

• Government departments expressed concern with the prime minister’s controversial industrial relations changes, known as WorkChoices, raising issue with the potential for industrial disputes

• Cabinet signed off in July of that year on a plan to send 150 special forces to Afghanistan for a 12-month deployment; troops would eventually spend nearly two decades providing security in the region

• There was concern from ministers about the potential for Afghanistan to become a failed state

• The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami prompted concern Australia’s alert mechanisms were not adequate as a warning system should a similar natural disaster hit closer to home

• The federal government signed off on $1 billion in tsunami recovery aid, with the hope it would be a “watershed” moment for relations with Indonesia

• The national security committee considered introducing a national identification card following the July 7 bombings in London

• Cabinet was also briefed about terrorist bombings in Bali which killed four Australians, noting people could not get through to an emergency hotline

• A proposed prisoner transfer agreement with Indonesia was floated following the arrest of the Bali Nine

• Cabinet discussed a national action plan to encourage tolerance of different faiths and build leadership within the Muslim community

• A national plan was agreed to address threats to social cohesion following the Cronulla riots

• Cabinet accepted a report which found systemic issues in the immigration department which led to the unlawful detention of Australian citizen Cornelia Rau for 10 months

•  Environmental laws were cited as a barrier to development, with faster project approvals prioritised over more protection for natural environments

• A “relatively loose arrangement” on technologies such as carbon capture was floated on climate change

• Work was carried out to set up the federal government’s future fund from the sale of Telstra, noting entitlement payments were needed in 20 years’ time

• A briefing was held on the rescue of Australian Douglas Wood, who was kidnapped and held hostage in Iraq for six weeks

• Cabinet also discussed steps for preparing for a pandemic, with documents noting a strong domestic response of border closures, travel restrictions and the shutting of schools and businesses would be needed.

https://citynews.com.au/2026/lessons-from-another-time-in-secret-cabinet-documents/