Australia: Varieties of policy impacts

The chapter describes the impact of the OECD on one of its members, Australia. It argues that: (1) the outputs of the OECD are collectively arrived at, so that any examination of the impact of these outputs on its members’ policies is, in considerable part, an examination of the outputs of their interactions; and (2) that the OECD has had a continuing impact on Australian domestic policy, an impact that has varied by policy area, extent and depth, and over time. We describe the impact on policy learning, policy capacity, policy content and policy processes, with several examples and a case study of the impact of OECD agreements on tax policy. The latter impact has been increasing and significant, but also largely welcomed, as Australian governments have worked continuously within the OECD, along with several other members, to persuade members of the need for global tax policy development.