Department advice ignored for $1.15b building fund, pork-barrelling accusations fly Federal A new report from the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has found funding decisions from the Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) did not properly follow
McKenzie returns, Chester dropped in government shakeup June 28, 2021 By Shannon Jenkins Federal The return of Barnaby Joyce as leader of the Nationals has sparked a ministerial reshuffle, with some of his supporters set to be sworn in
Premium Insights and analysis What the new Nationals leadership really says to regional voters June 22, 2021 By Melissa Coade Community & Social As Barnaby Joyce reclaims his crown as leader of the Nationals party, in part due to the coalition position on Australia’s ‘net zero preferably by
Local councils lobby for seat at National Cabinet table June 21, 2021 By Melissa Coade Community & Social With economic recovery from COVID-19 in full swing, it is now time for ‘all three tiers of government’ to work together, municipal leaders say. Representatives
Commonwealth gives WA $1.3 billion infrastructure boost May 4, 2021 By Melissa Coade Federal A federal package for Western Australia has been unveiled by the government for a suite of new infrastructure projects to be announced in next week’s
Premium Columnists Nationals love to push decentralisation March 30, 2021 By Stephen Bartos Australian Capital Territory It’s an article of faith in the National Party that public services should move away from capital cities. Every National Party leader in recent history
Department of Infrastructure opens Orange branch as part of decentralisation agenda November 26, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Community & Social The Department of Infrastructure has opened a Regional Programs branch office in Orange as part of the federal government’s decentralisation plan. Regional development minister Michael
‘Commonwealth may have been defrauded’: Coverup could be afoot in bungled $30 million airport deal October 19, 2020 By Matthew Elmas News Public servants may have tried to cover-up the controversial Leppington Triangle land purchase when auditors questioned whether they had paid too much, Senate Estimates has
Commonwealth smorgasbord: what we know about the 2020-21 federal budget October 5, 2020 By Matthew Elmas News It’s been a busy weekend for the Morrison government as it prepares to unveil the 2020-21 federal budget tomorrow, with a bevy of pre-budget announcements
New Zealanders permitted to travel to NSW and NT from October 16 October 2, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins New South Wales New Zealanders will be able to travel quarantine-free to New South Wales and the Northern Territory from October 16, deputy prime minister Michael McCormack has
Ministerial reshuffle: Veterans’ Affairs, Resources portfolios move into cabinet, Littleproud takes Agriculture February 6, 2020 By The Mandarin Defence Prime Minister Scott Morrison has accepted the ministerial appointment recommendations of the leader of his Coalition partner, the Nationals’ Michael McCormack, to reshuffle several major
Multiple APS secretaries tipped to get the sack in Morrison’s massive MoG changes 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
Controversial APVMA base opens in push for decentralisation August 12, 2019 By Shannon Jenkins New South Wales Two new agency headquarters have opened in regional Australia as part of the government’s “decentralisation agenda”. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority’s (APVMA) new
July 1 a new beginning for the National Indigenous Australians Agency, among others July 2, 2019 By Stephen Easton Federal July 1 marked a new start for the arm of the public sector concerned with Indigenous affairs policy, which was re-centralised after the 2013 election