Premium Insights and analysis Will the government make ANAO a parliamentary department? Editors' Picks It’s curious how many reports from parliamentary committees have quietly been lobbed on public record while the world has been distracted by the pomp and
Lesson number one — listen to the electorate May 24, 2022 By Tom Ravlic Editors' Picks COMMENT Australians on Saturday voted in a manner that should ensure political parties seeking government will need to stop telling Australians what they know, and
Premium Insights and analysis Criticising the public service is no longer a vote winner May 23, 2022 By Chris Johnson Editors' Picks Australians have overwhelmingly rejected a coal-toting, disaster holidaying, blame-shifting prime minister, and public servants emphatically let it be known that they’re tired of being election
Election 2022: Morrison criticises public servants May 17, 2022 By Chris Johnson Federal Scott Morrison has used his appearance on the ABC’s 7.30 program to take a swipe at the public service, suggesting his government has a better
Premium Columnists Election 2022: To rebuild APS capacity, some at the very top will likely go April 28, 2022 By Bernard Keane Editors' Picks In the event of a Labor win in May, we’re unlikely to see exactly what it means for the Australian Public Service for quite some
Premium Columnists Election 2022: Policies need to stay in their lane April 27, 2022 By Geoff Edwards Editors' Picks The disbursement of public money from the federal government’s $660 million National Commuter Car Park Program and $250 million Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program generated
Premium Insights and analysis Election 2022: Public service doesn’t run the government, says Morrison April 26, 2022 By Tom Ravlic Editors' Picks Prime minister Scott Morrison has again asserted that it is he and his ministers, and not the public service, who run the government. He did
Premium Insights and analysis Challenge for public service will be in budget details March 24, 2022 By Stephen Bartos Economy & Industry A budget is always a challenge for the public service. A pre-election budget doubly so. Next Tuesday’s budget is being decided on by a Cabinet
Premium Insights and analysis Treating the symptoms and addressing the excesses October 7, 2021 By Bernard Keane Australian Capital Territory While senior public servants have preferred to downplay politicisation in the APS and argue it has been overstated, there has been recognition of the need
Premium Insights and analysis Soft corruption and weak administration — the match made in hell October 6, 2021 By Bernard Keane Australian Capital Territory While we’ve seen how politicisation has directly, and indirectly, contributed to poor policy outcomes, politicisation also relates directly to the soft corruption that now characterises
Governing not by conventions, but by what you can get away with July 28, 2021 By John Daley Culture Conventions lie between the black-letter rules of a constitution and legislation, and the realities of politics and administration. You cannot understand how government really works
ANAO: Infrastructure department’s approach to choosing projects for $660m car park fund ‘not appropriate’ June 29, 2021 By Shannon Jenkins Federal The Australian National Audit Office has slammed the administration of a $660 million national car park fund, with a new report finding the federal Infrastructure
Premium Insights and analysis Inside the Senate’s sports rorts report March 23, 2021 By Chris Woods Editors' Picks The final report by the upper house Select Committee on Administration of Sports Grants slammed overwhelming evidence that the Morrison government’s $100 million Community Sports
Some agencies could go 20 years without audit unless ANAO gets more funding, Hehir says February 22, 2021 By Shannon Jenkins Federal National auditor-general Grant Hehir has warned that his office will need to reduce the number of performance audits it conducts each year unless it receives