Commonwealth-State and Population Division

The National Security team provides analysis and advice on national security issues, particularly where they cross over with economic considerations. This covers the Defence portfolio, the parts of the Home Affairs portfolio covering national security and Australia’s national intelligence community. The Commonwealth-State Relations team provides advice to the Treasurer on issues pertaining to financial relations between the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments. In particular, it provides advice on federal financial framework issues and reforms, monitors the state and territory fiscal positions, provides analysis of state taxes and taxation issues arising between the different levels of government, pays general revenue assistance (including GST payments) and payments for specific purposes to the States, advises on the operation of COAG's performance reporting framework, advises on issues concerning fiscal equalisation which governs the distribution of GST revenue amongst the States, analyses the policy aspects of the First Home Owners Scheme and Boost, and the effects of government taxes and charges on housing costs, supports the operations of the Loan Council in its oversight of the public sector's call on financial markets and coordinates meetings between the Australian Government and State governments on issues affecting federal and state finances and the operation of Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations.