Au pairs: a minister under fire, his department overruled, and a very long list of QONs
The Department of Home Affairs has agreed to tell a Senate committee what led border control officials to advise Minister Peter Dutton there was a… Read More
Partner Content - Michael Pezzullo
APS in de facto caretaker mode as speculation swirls over secretaries
A Dutton government could shake the earth under the APS given his right-wing ideology; a Morrison or other middle-of-the-road challenger’s government less so. Read More
Michael Pezzullo on restoring public trust in governments and getting around encryption
Michael Pezzullo preemptively defends the new Department of Home Affairs structure from "those who would seek to unravel those linkages" and argues his bailiwick offers the best chance of restoring public trust in governments in a chaotic world. Read More
What’s up in Senate estimates? Leaks, Lloyd and loquacious witnesses spark early clashes
Security issues and claims based on unauthorised disclosures to the media have taken centre stage as the Senate's post-budget estimates hearings kicked off in Canberra. Read More
Beware the axe: stability is good, but loyalty is better for some incoming ministers
Would a Shorten Labor government bring another night of the long knives? Verona Burgess thinks some executives could be seen as turn-coats, but wiser heads might prevail. Read More
How do women in leadership shape the big picture?
Australia's sixth Women in Leadership conference will focus on developing leadership skills and driving the advancement of women. Hear from female leaders across federal, state and local agencies as well as key elected representatives striving for gender equality in public life. Read More
When estimates go Pythonesque
Sometimes, exchanges in Senate estimates start to sound like the Monty Python skit about the argument clinic. Read More
‘So far, so good’ for Home Affairs, but ABF chief still out in cold
It is still not clear whether Australian Border Force commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg will ever join the new department, despite a series of new facts on that issue emerging over the course of two separate hearings. Read More
Benched Border Force boss Roman Quaedvlieg desperate to know his fate
The erstwhile Australian Border Force commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg has no compunction about commenting publicly on an investigation by the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, even one where he is the subject. Read More
Verona Burgess: Joyce affair could never happen in the public service… could it?
They're corrosive to the wellbeing of every workplace, yet affairs between married bosses and subordinates can't feasibly be prevented. Sorting it out swiftly with no favouritism, nepotism or misuse of taxpayer money has allowed some officials to survive unscathed, but not all are so lucky. Read More
Home Affairs-AGD shakeup authors address accountability concerns
Also, Michael Pezzullo's new portfolio will not be taking counter-terrorism orders from a parliamentary secretary — even though it looks that way in the proposed legislation. Read More
The rift between Brandis and Dutton deepens as the Home Affairs behemoth rises
As the public service head of the incoming Home Affairs portfolio, Michael Pezzullo will have to overcome more than just a bureaucratic turf war in order to achieve results. Michelle Grattan reports there is 'palpable hostility' between ministers responsible for the rule of law. Read More
Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo has no time for ‘inter-agency jealousies’
The law isn't the main barrier to co-operation between public service agencies, says Michael Pezzullo, but "hidebound, reactionary" attitudes. A new Department of Home Affairs will “embed” itself into supply chains, he explained. Read More
The top contenders to replace Dennis Richardson at Defence department
Who will replace Dennis Richardson as secretary of the Department of Defence? There's a lot of contenders being discussed and some earlier aspirants dropped out the running before the coveted role opened up. We've compiled the nine most likely candidates. Read More
Pezzullo: Immigration department won’t be trapped by history
SPEECH: The Commonwealth's newest diarchy is less than a year into its integration and establishment of new national capability. The Immigration secretary says advanced skills and automation are its future. Read More