About the author Associate Editor Stephen Easton is the associate editor at The Mandarin based in Canberra. He's previously reported for Canberra CityNews and worked on industry titles for The Intermedia Group. Follow Stephen Easton
ICAC finds City of Playford on the right track, still at risk of corruption, misconduct or maladministration Wednesday December 11, 2019 By Stephen Easton News Deputy Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Michael Riches found weaknesses in the City of Playford's record-keeping, and gaps between policy and practice that leave the council… Read more
E-health chief Tim Kelsey calls it a day, following COO’s resignation Tuesday December 10, 2019 By Stephen Easton Federal Australian Digital Health Agency chief executive Tim Kelsey has handed in his resignation. Kelsey will take his leave from the post on January 17 after… Read more
Secretary contradicts PM over Thodey review while APS braces for more MoG changes Tuesday December 10, 2019 By Stephen Easton Federal A federal department secretary has contradicted Prime Minister Scott Morrison's claim that his dramatic and decisive changes to Australian Public Service are "consistent entirely with… Read more
Premium Interviews Federal public servants will soon have a ‘responsibility to share’ data for public benefit, but they need to lean on the experts and be careful not to overreach Tuesday December 10, 2019 By Stephen Easton Federal After a long period of consultation around upcoming federal data-sharing and release reforms, questions about consent and commercial use remain the most controversial. While a… Read more
PM&C suddenly downgrades Scott Morrison’s brand new ‘Priorities and Delivery Unit’ Monday December 9, 2019 By Stephen Easton Federal The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet only recently established a brand new team, as part of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's efforts to put… Read more
The Facebook of government: watch the ‘vision’ of what Services Australia will deliver Friday December 6, 2019 By Stephen Easton Communications & Technology The Digital Transformation Agency has finally published a flashy promotional video showing the government's "vision" of Services Australia, a week after Minister for Government Services Stuart… Read more
What is the Department of Agriculture’s role in the Murray-Darling? Not even Mick Keelty knows Friday December 6, 2019 By Stephen Easton Economy & Industry The Inspector-General of Murray-Darling Basin Water Resources, Mick Keelty, has delivered a withering assessment of the Department of Agriculture's role in the water-sharing agreement, suggesting… Read more
Four departments and five secretaries cut while one returns, as PM reshapes the public service Thursday December 5, 2019 By Stephen Easton Federal Prime Minister Scott Morrison has unveiled a massive Australian Public Service shake-up, which will see five secretaries out of their jobs, after a morning of… Read more
Multiple APS secretaries tipped to get the sack in Morrison’s massive MoG changes Thursday December 5, 2019 By Stephen Easton Federal Prime Minister Scott Morrison plans a major restructure of the Australian Public Service, which may see multiple secretaries lose their jobs, according to news reports… Read more
CPSU says government jobs could help drought-hit towns, panics over phantom ‘job cuts’ Wednesday December 4, 2019 By Stephen Easton Federal The Community and Public Sector Union says the Morrison government's cuts to the Australian Public Service workforce have worsened the economic effects of the drought,… Read more
Four NSW integrity agencies face audits and a parliamentary inquiry that covers the auditor, too Wednesday December 4, 2019 By Stephen Easton New South Wales The Audit Office of New South Wales has been asked to run the ruler over the financial arrangements and management practices of four integrity agencies,… Read more
WA government sets ambitious new disability employment target for the public sector Wednesday December 4, 2019 By Stephen Easton Community & Social The Western Australian government has set a new disability employment target for the public sector of 5% by the end of 2025, and a new… Read more
APS leaders warned about conflicts of interest in procurement Tuesday December 3, 2019 By Stephen Easton Federal Australian Public Service leaders have been formally reminded they are expected to fully comply with the rules around managing potential and actual conflicts of interest… Read more
The big unknown in Stuart Robert’s grand designs for Services Australia: how much will it cost? Tuesday December 3, 2019 By Stephen Easton Communications & Technology One major thing was missing from Government Services Minister Stuart Robert's big update on digital transformation and the plans for Services Australia on Friday: what… Read more
Premium Trends and research Why a 7% disability employment target for the APS really means a greater sense of inclusion and psychological safety Tuesday December 3, 2019 By Stephen Easton Community & Social When the Morrison government announced a 7% disability employment target for the Australian Public Service in May, it really meant that it aimed to have… Read more
