Comparing the second and third waves of regulatory reform in Australia

This paper will argue that there have been three waves of regulatory reform in contemporary Australia, each informed by a similar broad set of neo-liberal, political and economic objectives, but with important differences that reflect: • the changing nature of the issues being addressed; • the changing domestic and international context within which the reforms have been developed; • the motives and roles of the State and Commonwealth governments in initiating the reforms; • the management and organization of the reform processes.