Changing Fortunes | Paul Tilley

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Changing Fortunes a history of the Australian Treasury

Examines how Treasury has evolved: in its economic thinking and with its influence on policy.

Articles

I left Treasury at the end of 2016 after 32 years as an economic policy adviser to Australian governments. I’ve since written a book on the history of Treasury - from Federation but with a focus on the modern era post the 1976 split with Finance. Changing Fortunes: A History of the Australian Treasury was launched on 6 August 2019 by Peter Costello AC in Canberra and by Steve Bracks AC Melbourne on 26 August. My intention in writing the book is to contribute to the debate on the role of the public service and the evolution of economic policy making in Australia. Here are some articles on the book’s key themes.

Paul Tilley

Mar 10, 20211 min read

Changing Fortunes

Podcast on the role of the Australian Treasury https://economics-explained.simplecast.com/episodes/the-role-of-the-treasury-in-economic-p...

Paul Tilley

Mar 26, 20201 min read

Book review by John West

Tllley, a former senior advisor to Australian governments for some 32 years, has delivered a veritable tour de force. He takes readers...

Economic Record book review by Selwyn Cornish

Paul Tilley

Mar 21, 20201 min read

Economic Record book review by Selwyn Cornish

particular merit of the book is the author's choice of a central theme. Tilley argues that the Treasury's influence waxed and waned...

Disappointing Thodey review falls well short of expectations

Paul Tilley

Feb 7, 20201 min read

Disappointing Thodey review falls well short of expectations

Paddy Gourley's Canberra Times article yesterday on the Thodey public service review references Changing Fortunes: A History of the...

How we caught the economic growth bug, but may shake it off

Paul Tilley

Jan 5, 20201 min read

How we caught the economic growth bug, but may shake it off

Ross Gittins' piece on GDP this weekend refer to Changing Fortunes. In his recent history of the federal Treasury, Paul Tilley noted that...

Paul Tilley

Dec 18, 20191 min read

Summer Reading List

Troy Bramston's article in the Australian says that the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has Changing Fortunes on his summer reading list. Hope...

Paul Tilley

Dec 18, 20191 min read

The Fountain of Sound Advice

Geoffrey Blainey has reviewed my book in the December edition of Australian Book Review. He says "Paul Tilley classes the Treasury, now...

Paul Tilley

Dec 9, 20194 min read

Treasury's Changing Influence

Since Changing Fortunes: A History of the Australian Treasury was launched in August I’ve posted a series of articles on key points in...

Paul Tilley

Dec 4, 20193 min read

Tumultuous Years for Treasury

The election of the Rudd government in November 2007 marked the beginning of a tumultuous decade for Australia. It began with the GFC –...

Paul Tilley

Nov 17, 20193 min read

Treasury and the Reformists II

The election of the Howard government in March 1996, with Peter Costello as Treasurer, revitalised the economic reform program in...

Paul Tilley

Nov 11, 20194 min read

Treasury and the Reformists I

The election of the Hawke government in March 1983, with Paul Keating as Treasurer, ushered in an Australian era of economic reform –...

Paul Tilley

Oct 28, 20193 min read

Fraser Breaks Power of Treasury

The election of Malcolm Fraser’s government in 1975 promised a more stable and positive relationship between Treasury and the government...

Paul Tilley

Oct 8, 20194 min read

Treasury and the Whitlam Government

The Whitlam government was a game-changer for the public service in Australia (and more broadly of course) and Treasury’s relationship...

Treasury's transition from bookkeeper to economic policy adviser

Paul Tilley

Oct 1, 20193 min read

Treasury's transition from bookkeeper to economic policy adviser

Over the first 50 years of Australia’s federation, from 1901 to 1951, Treasury went through a transformation from bookkeeper to economic...

Can Treasury regain its economic influence?

Paul Tilley

Sep 25, 20191 min read

Can Treasury regain its economic influence?

Treasury is one of Australia's great enduring institutions, having survived, largely intact, since Federation. For most of its history,...

Paul Tilley

Aug 9, 20195 min read

A Place of Influence

Changing Fortunes: A History of the Australian Treasury. Treasury is one of Australia's great enduring institutions, having survived,...

Is the public service as frank and fearless as it used to be?

Paul Tilley

Aug 2, 20192 min read

Is the public service as frank and fearless as it used to be?

In Changing Fortunes: A History of the Australian Treasury I describe the art of policy advising as being able to: understand the true...

Has the boundary between the public service and the ministers’ offices become more blurred?

Paul Tilley

Jul 30, 20192 min read

Has the boundary between the public service and the ministers’ offices become more blurred?

With the deteriorating political environment of the last decade, in the relentless push for message over substance the public service has be

Does Treasury still have policy influence?

Paul Tilley

Jul 30, 20192 min read

Does Treasury still have policy influence?

Treasury has long been a central policy adviser to governments - but over its history its influence has waxed and waned. My book Changing...