From the papers today:

Federal cabinet papers from 2005 have been released to the public, shining fresh light on the decisions of then-prime minister John Howard and his ministers.

* Government departments expressed concern with the prime minister's controversial industrial relations changes, known as
WorkChoices, raising issue with the potential for industrial disputes

* Cabinet signed off in July of that year on a plan to send 150 special forces to Afghanistan for a 12-month deployment; troops would eventually spend nearly two decades providing security in the region
Australian troops spent nearly two decades providing security in Afghanistan.

* There was concern from ministers about the potential for Afghanistan to become a failed state

* The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami prompted concern Australia's alert mechanisms were not adequate as a warning system should a similar natural disaster hit closer to home

* The federal government signed off on $1 billion in tsunami recovery aid, with the hope it would be a "watershed" moment for relations with Indonesia

* The national security committee considered introducing a national identification card following the July 7 bombings in London

* Cabinet was also briefed about terrorist bombings in Bali which killed four Australians, noting people could not get through to an emergency hotline

Cabinet agreed to a national plan to address threats to social cohesion after the Cronulla riots.

* A proposed prisoner transfer agreement with Indonesia was floated following the arrest of the Bali Nine

* Cabinet discussed a national action plan to encourage tolerance of different faiths and build leadership within the Muslim community

* A national plan was agreed to address threats to social cohesion following the Cronulla riots

* Cabinet accepted a report which found systemic issues in the immigration department which led to the unlawful detention of Australian citizen Cornelia Rau for 10 months

*  Environmental laws were cited as a barrier to development, with faster project approvals prioritised over more protection for natural environments

Cabinet was briefed on the rescue of Douglas Wood, who was kidnapped and held hostage in Iraq.

* A "relatively loose arrangement" on technologies such as carbon capture was floated on climate change

* Work was carried out to set up the federal government's future fund from the sale of Telstra, noting entitlement payments were needed in 20 years’ time

* A briefing was held on the rescue of Australian Douglas Wood, who was kidnapped and held hostage in Iraq for six weeks

* Cabinet also discussed steps for preparing for a pandemic, with documents noting a strong domestic response of border closures, travel restrictions and the shutting of schools and businesses would be needed.


The last one is interesting in the light of COVID some years later