In most Commonwealth countries, public records legislation restricts public access to Cabinet Minutes for 30 years.
At the end of each year, Queensland State Archives (QSA) releases the Cabinet Minutes from 30 years before which are under embargo until 1 January.
Cabinet documents provide a fascinating insight into Queensland 30 years ago and generate a lot of national and local media interest.
On 3 January 2012, the Cabinet Minutes of the 1981 Queensland Government were made available to the general public. Highlights of the Minutes were outlined to the media by the Minister for Government Services, Building Industry and Information and Communication Technology, the Honourable Simon Finn.
Click on the links below for background reports and scanned images of some of the key decisions from the 1981 Cabinet Minutes, prepared for Queensland State Archives by Mr Chris Salisbury.