A five-year period of particular activity in Australian language policy and language planning culminated with the 1991 publication of the White Paper called Australia's Language, which outlines proposed government programs in languages until 1994. Many of the papers in this theme issue of the journal of the Applied Linguistics Association of Australia are concerned with the impact of the White Paper on various areas of Australian language planning and policy. They include: "Australian Language Policies: Are We Going Backwards?" (Michael Clyne); "A Review of Some of the Achievements of the National Policy on Languages" (Joseph Lo Bianco); "The Green Paper on Language and Literacy: An Overview and an Assessment" (Roland Sussex); "The Role of the National Languages Institute of Australia in the Development and Implementation of Language Policy in Australia" (Susan Fullagar, Anthony Liddicoat); "Language Policies, Language Attitudes and Acquisition Planning: Implications for National Policy on Languages" (Pauline Djite, Belinda A. Monro); "Client Demand, Policy Research and Lobbying: Major Sources of Languages Administrative Policies in NSW 1980-86" (Kerrie Croft, R. J. S. MacPherson); "Yesterday's Experts: The Bureaucratic Impact on Language Planning for Aboriginal Bilingual Education" (Bruce A. Sommer); "Language and Identity in the Australian Deaf Community: Australian Sign Language and Language Policy. An Issue of Social Justice" (Jan Branson, Don Miller); "Language Policy in Interpreting and Translating" (Uldis Ozolins); and "Language Planning and Language Management for Tourism Shopping Situations" (Helen E. Marriott). (MSE)