Clear communication is often cited as a cornerstone of effective government—but in practice, legal complexity still dominates many public-facing messages.
In this interview, Rochelle Hurst, National Manager, Education & Industry Engagement at AUSTRAC, shares a candid perspective on why legalese persists, why plain English does not weaken legal or policy integrity, and what happens when government messages miss their mark.
Drawing on her background as a qualified lawyer and senior public servant across NSW and Commonwealth agencies, Rochelle outlines practical, audience-centred approaches agencies can adopt to improve clarity, compliance, and trust.
Why does legalese continue to dominate government communication, even when clarity is widely recognised as essential?
Legal language persists largely because government communication often begins with legislation rather than with an audience. Traditional drafting can tend to be risk‑averse, heavily reviewed by a multitude of people, and shaped by the need to maintain fidelity to the Act and Rules. In my experience, this can unintentionally prioritise legal defensibility over usability. Too often, government agencies can be heavily focused on managing their own risks, rather than looking outwards and thinking about the risks to the community that they are there to reduce.
Is it a misconception that plain English weakens legal or policy integrity—and how can agencies maintain precision without sacrificing understanding?
As a qualified lawyer who has worked in private practice and now leads a government communications function, I firmly believe that this is a misconception. Plain English does not mean imprecision—it means being mindful of where the audience is at. It enhances clarity by improving structure and reducing unnecessary jargon and ambiguity. A hybrid model is often appropriate in the context of government, one that pairs plain language explanations with deeper legal accuracy where required. This allows low‑to‑medium capability users to understand their obligations, while still meeting the needs of advisers and sophisticated entities who require legal depth.
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What are the real‑world consequences for citizens when government communication is unclear or overly complex?
Unclear communication creates confusion, misinterpretation, and disengagement. In a regulatory setting, this can have major consequences, as overly complicated or confusing messaging can lead to non‑compliance with the law, which can in turn result in harm and penalties.
How can agencies test whether their communications are truly understandable?
The most effective testing is user‑centred. Although this can be time consuming at the outset, you’ll save time in the long run if you test your approach with representatives of the audience you’re hoping to reach. Reduced enquiries and improved self‑service outcomes offer early, practical and measurable indicators of clarity.
From your perspective, what practical changes can agencies make to embed plain English into everyday policy and public‑facing communications?
First, embed plain English expectations early, and obtain endorsement from the top. This needs to happen ahead of the drafting stage, rather than as an editorial clean‑up. Second, use shared style guidance consistently. Finally, build capability. Plain English is a skill that improves with practice, feedback and exposure to real user questions. Communications staff should share their insights with other business areas to instil basic readability and accessibility principles across the agency.
What are the key takeaways attendees can expect to gain from your session during the event?
I’ll be using my experiences as a senior public servant working in NSW and Commonwealth government agencies to talk the audience through examples of meaningful and impactful communications that harness the voice and authority of government leaders. I hope the audience takes away a clear sense of the variety of mechanisms that are available to us in 2026 to get important messages out there.
Adrianne Saplagio is a Content Producer at Comms Room, where she combines her passion for storytelling with her expertise in multimedia content creation. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for engaging audiences, Adrianne has been instrumental in crafting compelling narratives that resonate across various digital platforms.
