It is a political choice, about creating jobs in Adelaide, not a good strategic choice. It would deliver a more reliable product if we were…

Events, especially unforeseen events, can derail even the best and most thorough plans made by politicians and public servants.

With good design inside the public service, new spending programs could have a dual effect on both mitigation and adaptation of climate change.

Politicians and public servants are among the workers least negatively affected by lockdowns. That makes it hard for some of them to be empathetic.

There is no such thing as mere advice when it affects life and death. The issue raises questions about how expert advisory bodies should operate. …

Another day, another royal commission. For every major problem facing Australia it seems someone, somewhere, will call for a royal commission.

The recent trend to militarisation of the public service raises further questions. Why is it happening more frequently today? And should Australians be worried?…

If the defence forces comes to be seen merely as a stepping-stone to a senior public service appointment, the public service ethos is undermined.

With the commonwealth's intergenerational report due soon, Stephen Bartos discusses the elements that need to be covered. NSW's IGR is an exemplary one.

There is far less scope with a pandemic for political point scoring, this time. All sides know what needs to be done. There is not…

The relative moral standing of different levels of government has shifted since the closing decades of the 20th century. And here's why.

If the pandemic were the only factor involved, this shift in the balance of power in the Australian federation would be short-lived. But it is…

For the first time since 1942 the balance of power in the Australian federation is shifting from the commonwealth back to the states and territories.