Premium Columnists Machiavelli meets Sun Tzu: the knives are out, and they cut all sorts of ways Friday July 16, 2021 By Verona Burgess Editors' Picks There are a few more audits in the pipeline that might cause shivers up public service spines, writes Verona Burgess. What a difference seven months…
Premium Columnists Opportunity knocks for those with Secretary ambitions (but mind your head) Friday June 18, 2021 By Verona Burgess Editors' Picks The drive to reach the top is not just about being close to political power, although that can be shockingly seductive. There’s a characteristic that…
Adamson departure clears way for shakeup Thursday May 20, 2021 By Chris Johnson Editors' Picks Beyond DFAT, other departments likely to be impacted by Frances Adamson’s imminent departure include Defence, Home Affairs, Attorney-General and even PM&C.
Premium Columnists ‘Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them … well, I have others’ — Groucho Marx, or any of our federal ministers? Thursday March 25, 2021 By Verona Burgess Editors' Picks The statement of ministerial standards is not a piece of legislation. It is, as its own foreword says, 'principles-based'. Ah, principles and politics... writes Verona…
Phil Gaetjens halts probe into PMO’s knowledge of rape allegations Monday March 22, 2021 By Shannon Jenkins Federal The inquiry into which of the prime minister’s staff knew of Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations before they were made public has come to a standstill,…
Premium Columnists Christian Porter has a specific value to the prime minister. And it’s not that he’s the nation’s first law officer Friday March 12, 2021 By Verona Burgess Editors' Picks It seems astonishing that Scott Morrison’s enthusiasm for ordering inquiries came to such a screaming halt with the allegations of rape 33 years ago against…
A terrible little secret in a building whose walls have ears and where gossip is gold Friday February 19, 2021 By Verona Burgess Career Matters The clock is ticking down to Senate estimates on the Brittany Higgins matter, says Verona Burgess.
Gaetjens to lead review into changing COVID-19 ‘risk environment’ Friday February 5, 2021 By Shannon Jenkins Federal The top public servant will consider a range of factors, including the new strains of COVID-19 that have been emerging, improvements in testing, tracing, and…
‘We’ve turned a corner’: Phil Gaetjens reflects on the public service’s transformative year Wednesday December 16, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Federal After almost 44 years in the public service, Gaetjens said he has never been prouder of the APS, and encouraged the 2020 graduates to take…
Premium Columnists The pandemic that saved the skin of the Australian Public Service – for now Friday December 11, 2020 By Verona Burgess Editors' Picks COVID-19 has not only made a real prime minister out of Scott Morrison but may also have done the federal bureaucracy a big favour in…
National auditor-general gives handling of APS response to COVID-19 a thumbs up Tuesday December 1, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Federal The report assessed the management of the APS pandemic response, led by the Secretaries Board, the Chief Operating Officers Committee, Australian Public Service Commissioner Peter…
PM&C’s ‘clear-headed’ ICT strategy encourages new ways of working and agility Friday November 13, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Communications & Technology In light of the events of 2020, PM&C must 'harness the full power of technology' in a way that supports and promotes trust in government,…
Collaboration between government agencies and across borders at heart of bushfire royal commission recommendations Friday October 30, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Defence Eighty recommendations to governments call for increased collaboration across jurisdictions through common information platforms, shared technologies, and an advisory group responsible for strategic policy.
Brendan Murphy named third most powerful person in Australia Friday October 2, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Federal Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Phil Gaetjens has topped AFR Magazine‘s list of Australia’s most covertly powerful people for the third consecutive…
New APS professional stream to lift data capability across workforce Wednesday September 16, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Career Advice 'The data professional stream is grounded in a strategy to lift the data capability of the APS workforce, to generate deeper insights, inform evidence-based decisions…
