March 2026

The Opener

If there’s a dominant frame emerging right now, it’s that stability is the new growth.

From gas policy to trade deals, arguments are increasingly being made not on what delivers the biggest upside, but on what reduces risk, whether that’s supply chains, investment, or the broader economy.

You can see it in how the Australia–EU trade deal is being positioned, and in how industry is responding to calls for higher taxes on gas exports. The language is different, but the underlying message is the same: in an uncertain world, predictability has value.

It’s a theme that served Anthony Albanese well at the last federal election. In a world careening off the rails, he offered a safe pair of hands. Not flashy, but dependable.

And for communicators, it’s a useful shift to watch. The most effective arguments at the moment are ones that feel like they reduce exposure.

Read the Room: The medium is the message

An op-ed in the Australian Financial Review arguing against higher taxes on business is not, on the face of it, especially remarkable.

Samantha McCulloch’s recent op-ed on gas taxation is a case in point. The head of the oil and gas industry’s lobby group (Australian Energy Producers) recently argued that poorly designed taxes risk discouraging investment in gas.

A business leader writing that taxes on business are a “Very Bad Thing” falls squarely into the “dog bites man” zone of newsworthiness. And since the is essentially a trade magazine for the nation’s C-suite, McCulloch’s treatise is really singing to the choir.

So what’s the point of all those column inches? Because residents of the country’s mahogany-lined offices are not really the intended audience. Well, not directly. The real audience is government.

Pieces like McCulloch’s get read into ministerial briefings, picked up in stakeholder summaries, and absorbed into the broader policy conversation. They help frame how advisers and officials understand an issue when they’re shaping decisions behind the scenes.

Seen through that lens, the op-ed is doing something far more deliberate than simply expressing a view.

First, it acts as a message anchor by placing a clear, defensible position into a credible public forum. Once it’s there, the argument moves from being sector scuttlebutt to something publicly articulated and able to be referenced.

Second, it becomes a repository of talking points. The language is distilled into a set of reusable frames — “investment confidence”, “energy security”, “reliable trading partner”, “supply shortfalls”. These are phrases that travel well and can be lifted into briefing notes, submissions, media comments, and stakeholder conversations with minimal translation.

Third, it provides a credibility vehicle. Appearing in a publication like the AFR lends weight to the argument, signalling that this is a serious, economically grounded position; one that sits comfortably within mainstream business thinking.

That’s the immediate function. What happens next is where it becomes more interesting.

In the days following the op-ed, similar arguments began to surface elsewhere. Comments reported in the AFR from the Business Council of Australia emphasised the importance of maintaining Australia’s reputation as a “reliable trading partner” and warned against policy settings that might undermine investment. Corporate leaders pointed to the need to consider “second-round effects” — growth, jobs, and broader economic impacts — rather than focusing narrowly on revenue.

Coverage in the Guardian captured the same core themes from multiple directions. David Pocock and the Australian Greens were arguing for higher taxes on gas exports, framing the issue around fairness and cost-of-living pressures. In response, industry representatives — including McCulloch — reiterated warnings about investment, supply, and price impacts. The Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA raised concerns about sovereign risk and Australia’s attractiveness as a place to invest.

The direction of those arguments differs, but the underlying point holds: the same core frames — investment, reliability, supply, economic impact — are doing the work across the debate.

This is the mechanism in action.

The op-ed helps place a set of arguments into circulation. From there, they begin to appear across different voices and forums: industry bodies, business groups, corporate leaders, and political figures. Not necessarily through coordination, but because they are drawing on the same framing and language.

For the government, the effect is cumulative. Instead of hearing a single organisation making a case, ministers and advisers encounter similar arguments from multiple directions. They see them reflected in media coverage, repeated in stakeholder engagement, and embedded in submissions and briefings.

Over time, the argument starts to feel less like advocacy and more like the ambient view of the sector. That is, it becomes the baseline position that needs to be engaged with, rather than one perspective among many.

There is also a second audience at play.

As the head of an industry body, McCulloch is not only speaking to government. She is also speaking to members — companies operating within the sector who expect their interests to be represented clearly and publicly. The op-ed signals that the organisation is active, engaged, and advancing a coherent position. It provides language that members can adopt in their own communications and reinforces a shared framing of the issue.

The op-ed undoubtedly sits alongside a broader mix of activity by the industry — direct engagement with ministers and officials, formal submissions, industry briefings, and ongoing media commentary. It’s one visible element of a wider effort to shape how the issue is understood and debated.

Which brings it back to where we started. On the surface, this looks like a straightforward piece of thought leadership: an industry leader setting out their position in a major publication.

But in practice, it’s closer to Marshall McLuhan’s observation that “the medium is the message”. Not because the content doesn’t matter, but because the medium determines what the message can do. An AFR op-ed doesn’t just express a view. It places that view into circulation in a form that can be picked up, repeated, and reinforced across the policy process.

In that sense, the op-ed isn’t so much the message as the mechanism that helps the message travel.

Eyes Up: Opportunities, tenders, and calls for input

The Federal Government has opened consultation on the next National Cultural Policy, building on the current Revive framework as it approaches its final years. Submissions are invited from across the arts and cultural sector, as well as the broader community, to help shape the long-term policy settings that will guide Australia’s cultural landscape. The process will be informed by five expert panels aligned to Revive’s pillars — including First Nations leadership, support for artists, and cultural infrastructure — alongside a Policy Advisory Group and a series of national town halls. Consultation closes 24 May, making it a good opportunity for organisations and practitioners to influence the next phase of national arts policy. More information is available at the Office for the Arts website.

The Senate’s Education and Employment References Committee is examining the growing number of Australian university graduates struggling to secure work, with submissions open until 5 June. The inquiry will look at the state of the entry-level job market, the quality and relevance of university education, and whether graduates are being equipped with skills employers actually need. It will also consider international comparisons and the broader economic, social and psychological impacts on graduates, offering an opportunity for universities, employers and sector stakeholders to influence how higher education and workforce pathways are aligned going forward.

The Senate has also established a Select Committee on Intergenerational Housing Inequity, with submissions open until 1 May. The inquiry will examine the scale and drivers of housing inequality between generations, including the role of tax settings, lending rules, rental markets, housing supply and investment in public and social housing. It will also consider how different groups are affected, what has worked in Australia and overseas to address these issues, and what policy or legislative reforms could help level the playing field for current and future generations — making this a significant opportunity for stakeholders to shape the housing reform debate ahead of its final report in September.

The Victorian Parliament’s Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee is conducting an inquiry into the 2026 summer bushfires, with submissions now open until 19 April. The inquiry will examine the full lifecycle of the fires — from preparedness and response to recovery — including the role of government and emergency services, the resilience of infrastructure, impacts on communities, business and the environment, and the influence of climate change and misinformation. It will also consider funding for the CFA and lessons from past inquiries and Royal Commissions, making this a broad opportunity for stakeholders to shape future fire policy and preparedness settings.

Worth Your Time: Smart finds we’ve bookmarked for you

Listen: This episode of The Globalist unpacks the long-awaited Australia–EU trade deal, explaining why negotiations dragged on for years and what finally brought both sides to agreement. Beyond the headline figures — tariff reductions, expanded market access and a A$10 billion boost for Australian businesses — the discussion highlights the broader strategic context: a more volatile global economy, the push to diversify away from China, and the role of trade agreements as a form of economic insurance.

Read: Tucked away in the bucolic Somerset town of Frome, Sherlock & Pages is as much a statement of intent as it is a bookshop. Founded by Luke and Agathe after a pilgrimage that led them to relocate from Bath, the shop is rooted in conservation, community and a deep respect for the inheritance of ideas. Both founders come from climate and sustainability backgrounds, and that sensibility shapes their carefully curated stock. Even if a spontaneous trip to Frome isn’t on the cards, their thoughtful and reflective newsletter offers a dose of literary calm and intellectual companionship.

Watch: If you’re after something lighter, Northern Exposure is now streaming in full on SBS On Demand. Set in the eccentric Alaskan town of Cicely, the series follows a reluctant New York doctor adjusting to small-town life, but its real appeal lies in its offbeat characters, dry humour and quietly philosophical tone. It was ahead of its time in a number of ways — from its treatment of Indigenous characters to early LGBTQ+ representation — and its influence can still be seen in later series. Nearly four decades on, it holds up remarkably well as both a sharp piece of television and a comforting watch.