Changes to the Cabinet process are being made to support improved decision-making. These changes are effective immediately.

Cabinet Minutes must be lodged by close of business five working days prior to the Cabinet meeting at which the matter is to be considered. Typically, this means that Cabinet Minutes need to be lodged by close of business Monday in the week before the Cabinet meeting. Where the Cabinet Minute is a Bill Minute that is implementing a prior policy decision of Cabinet, and there is no material variation from that prior decision, the Cabinet Minute must be lodged by close of business two working days prior to the Cabinet meeting (typically close of business Thursday).

The Coordinating Minister for the cluster must be consulted before the Cabinet Minute is lodged and the Minister's support for, or concerns about, the proposals must be noted in the Minute. Minutes submitted to the Cabinet Standing Committee on Expenditure Review (ERC) must be (co-)signed by the relevant Coordinating Minister.

The Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) will review each Cabinet Minute and advise the Premier on whether the Minute should be listed on the Cabinet agenda. DPC considers whether:

• The Minute has been lodged at least five working days prior to consideration by Cabinet, in accordance with the five day rule (except for Bill Minutes as above)
• The Minute is of a sufficient quality to support Cabinet decision-making
• All relevant agencies and stakeholders have been consulted on the proposals contained in the Minute and their views taken into consideration
• The Coordinating Minister for the cluster has been consulted
• The Minute acknowledges relevant previous decisions and directions of Cabinet
• The matters covered in the Minute are a legislative or policy priority for the Government and
• The Minute is succinct. In general, Minutes should be limited to 10 pages (excluding attachments).

Minutes that do not meet these requirements will not be listed on the Cabinet agenda other than in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Premier.

The Cabinet agenda will be finalised and distributed by close of business Wednesday of the week prior to each Cabinet meeting.

In the event that a Cabinet Minute is deferred and further information is required, the responsible Minister must lodge an amending letter by close of business on Friday in order for the matter to be considered at the Cabinet meeting in the following week.

To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Cabinet considerations and implementation of decisions:

• all Cabinet Minutes will be distributed to all Ministers; and
• Cabinet decisions will be distributed to all Ministers and Secretaries.

For Cabinet Sub-Committees:

• all Cabinet Minutes will be distributed to all members of the Committee;
• Committee decisions will be distributed to members of the Committee and Ministers who are affected by the decision;
• Decisions of the Standing Committee on Expenditure Review that affect particular Departments, rather than being general or sector wide, will be distributed to the Secretaries of the affected Departments; and
• Distribution of other Committee decisions to Secretaries will at the discretion of the Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet.