Two former ACCC executives who became whistleblowers against the ACCC two years ago talked to Crikey Inq journalist David Hardaker about why they did it and what goes on inside the mind of a government whistleblower
Mary Ann O’Loughlin landed in one of Australia’s most purple phases of creative policy-making and promptly fell in love with it. Young, curious, engaged and smart, she arrived in Canberra for what was meant to be a short break from an early academic career, as the newly elected Hawke government set about crafting a policy agenda of considerable ambition — Medicare, indexing pensions and benefits, tax reform, the prices and incomes accords, a remarkable national response to the AIDS epidemic, and the creation of the Office for the Status of Women.
The Nous Group analysis of preschool has turned out an overarching finding for governments: “that to sustain and further build on progress, funding should continue at a minimum of current levels”.
If you have spent the past decade or two living or working in the mental health sector, you could be forgiven for being a little jaded and cynical about the prospects for reform. But what is happening in Victoria will have a ripple effect across the country, and all state and territory health departments need to be watching how it plays out, writes Angus Clelland.
Simon Cooper is now the co-author with Martin Stewart-Weeks of an independent book that has got a lot of people in the public sector talking'. Here, Cooper talks about the challenges thrown out by 'Are we there yet', and the digital transformation of government and the public sector in Australia.
I hope this collection of essays can provide some practical ideas, strategies, lessons and discussion starters for public servants across Australia and the world, and I look forward to continuing to learn, contribute to and support the public sector reforms and evolutions that are so urgently needed to support the communities we all serve.
Scott Hamilton & Stuart Kells give us an entertaining as well as interesting look back at Australia's bipartisan history of law & order. Featuring an interview with former NSW MP and shadow attorney general Mr Andrew Tink.
Everybody tells you they are somewhere on the journey towards the holy grail of digital transformation. But sometimes it feels like we’re all stuck in the departure lounge while the airline gives us another lame excuse for delays. Will we ever get to our destination?
Phil Gaetjens' key messages for the Australian Public Service included flagging further consolidation of corporate functions; cross-portfolio taskforces to solve wicked problems; and increased data sharing to improve services and rebuild trust.
Coordinating a coherent seamless departmental response in a mega organisation means getting people out of their silos and thinking beyond their usual remit. It can’t just happen around the table at departmental executive meetings — senior people with flexible policy brains, diplomatic skills and a capacity to walk effortlessly on eggshells are needed to make the process organic at lower levels.
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 lot of researchers and policy-makers are keen to unlock latent value in the data held by the Australian Public Service, the need to maintain social license looms large.
The good news is our road toll is reducing. The bad news is that many young drivers are still engaging in risky driving practices – and forming bad habits — at the very start of their driving careers. This is one of the latest findings from Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.
PISA is out and continues to hit the headlines. Although Australia has, again, slipped in international rankings, this is a much more complex story than just wanting to climb the PISA ladder.
Markets structures are an important instrument in the success of the NDIS. It is through diverse and robust disability markets that participants can exercise choice and control, thereby delivering on many of the goals of the scheme. Yet we are seeing markets emerge with insufficient providers or capacity to meet demand and ensure competition takes place.
Attempts to support more effective coordination across government departments is not a new concept, and stories of failed attempts or at least only partial success tend to dominate. One of the key reasons for this appears to be the fact that government bureaucracies lack the “supporting architecture” needed to support joined-up-working. Thea Snow examines the success stories and sincere attempts of cross-government collaboration around the world.
