Supporting policymaking accountability by optimising Statements of Public Interest: lessons learned report

High quality policymaking is essential for the wellbeing and progress of Australian society. Transparent, high quality policymaking also enhances public trust in government decisions. Improving the quality of policy in Australia is of fundamental importance in the face of declining public trust in political institutions and the increasing complexity of challenges facing contemporary Australia.

In 2022, the NSW Parliament Legislative Council took a position to support high quality, transparent and evidence-based policymaking in the public interest, by becoming the first Australian jurisdiction to adopt the Statement of Public Interest (SPI) as an accountability mechanism to apply to all government legislation introduced into Parliament.

It asks whether the policy within a bill tabled in NSW parliament:

• Responds to an identified problem or need;
• Incorporates stakeholder consultation;
• Considers a range of policy options and analyses the costs and benefits of each option;
• Has a clear evidence-base to support the need/problem and the policy/solution; 
• Has a clear implementation pathway; and
• Includes a process to evaluate the policy.

Resulting from a year-long collaboration between Blueprint Institute, the Susan McKinnon Foundation, and Per Capita, this report identifies key recommendations to optimise the status, quality and usefulness of the SPI in NSW Parliament, with the ultimate aim of supporting purposeful, transparent and evidence-based policymaking practices.