Towards inclusion: language use in the Department of Defence

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Knowing more about a particular culture explains why an organisation is like it is, and why people behave and talk the way they do.

One important factor that perpetuates behaviours and makes change difficult is the use of language within the Defence organisation. Simply put, to change the way people behave, sometimes you have to change the way they talk.

This special report summarises a research project sponsored by the Secretary of Defence Fellowship program titled ‘Battling with words: a study of language, diversity and social inclusion in the Australian Department of Defence’.

Investing wisely: spending political capital on Australia’s criminal intelligence capabilities

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This report examines a recent proposal to merge the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) and the CrimTrac Agency. There are two distinct—but not irreconcilable—views about this proposal. Reconciling these views will require detailed research about how a merged organisation would benefit all stakeholders—especially the frontline police and criminal intelligence operators in all the jurisdictions.

But does the merger proposal actually address the right question? This report argues that a better way to view this problem is to ask how the Commonwealth can play a role as a steward for national criminal intelligence.

Importantly, this question presents an opportunity for the Australian Justice Minister to give the federal Cabinet a chance to consider the Commonwealth’s role in law enforcement more holistically.