APS leaders warned about conflicts of interest in procurement Federal Australian Public Service leaders have been formally reminded they are expected to fully comply with the rules around managing potential and actual conflicts of interest
Auditor-general Grant Hehir defends his independence from ministerial direction July 16, 2018 By Stephen Easton Federal The Treasurer had no right to stop the auditor-general telling his parliamentary oversight committee about a last-minute funding change this year, according to official legal
Legislature vs executive: auditor-general's independence trumped by budget secrecy May 30, 2018 By Stephen Easton Features This year, budget secrecy trumped the independence of Commonwealth auditor-general Grant Hehir, and the deputy chair of the parliamentary committee that backs him up is
Audit ambit: more scrutiny on federal contract deals March 16, 2018 By Stephen Easton Features The federal audit committee is gearing up for round two of its inquiry into the messy world of contractors and consultants, as the auditor-general prepares
Paying for credibility: 'Don't you need a logo on it?' February 23, 2018 By Stephen Easton Features Why do public servants need to use consulting firms so much? There are good reasons and bad reasons, in theory, but surely senior public servants
No evidence to support APS staff cap, no idea how many contractors fill the void February 20, 2018 By Stephen Easton Career Advice Public servant-turned MP Julian Hill is on a mission to prove PS staff caps are irrational and lead to wasteful spending on contractors and consultants.
Dubious grants and rubbery criteria keep political tool claims alive September 19, 2016 By Stephen Easton Case studies If your agency’s grants program had few quality applications, a surplus of funds, and was widely seen as a political tool, what would you do?
