The National Commission of Audit was established immediately after the Coalition’s 1996 election victory. It was charged with the task of reporting to the Government on the finances of the Commonwealth and measures to improve its fiscal position. The contributions to this discussion paper provide a thorough critique of the underlying assumptions of the Audit Report and of many of the specific recommendations it makes. As the report of the National Commission of Audit is likely to provide the rationale for many radical changes that the new government seems determined to make, these papers are an important contribution to public debate on the future of Australia.