Legal win in sports rorts FOI saga sends a warning to public servants Federal Rex Patrick’s court victory confirms an implied obligation under the FOI Act for public servants to avoid frustrating access to documents.
Premium Insights and analysis Auditing the auditor-general: Grant Hehir’s greatest hits January 30, 2024 By Tom Ravlic Economy & Industry Outgoing auditor-general Grant Hehir has had a notable run shining a light on government administration without fear or favour.
Premium Insights and analysis How rushed decisions can be public enemy number one in public administration August 29, 2023 By Melissa Coade Editors' Picks Here’s what mandarins have to do to improve outcomes for the community if they are serious about public service.
Premium Columnists Labor ministers and the public service February 1, 2023 By Richard Mulgan Editors' Picks Labor ministers will not easily adopt the critical independence needed to impose effective cultural reform on the senior public service.
Premium Insights and analysis Will the government make ANAO a parliamentary department? August 12, 2022 By Tom Ravlic Editors' Picks Turning ANAO into a parliamentary department ought to be an action item for the Albanese government rather than a bit of academic and structural navel-gazing.
Premium Insights and analysis When it’s ‘lawful but awful’: an integrity commission for rich Australia June 16, 2022 By Adam Graycar Editors' Picks The sort of corruption we see in rich Australia is trading in influence, making connections for a fee, and using wealth to gain access and multiply wealth.
Lesson number one — listen to the electorate May 24, 2022 By Tom Ravlic Editors' Picks Will political parties take in the lesson to stop telling Australians what they know and instead listen to the electorate and its concerns?
Premium Insights and analysis Criticising the public service is no longer a vote winner May 23, 2022 By Chris Johnson Editors' Picks So, giving public servants a kick is a vote winner, yes? Scott Morrison and his advisers failed to factor in some critical things with that strategy.
Election 2022: Morrison criticises public servants May 17, 2022 By Chris Johnson Federal Scott Morrison says his government has a better idea of what the community needs than does ‘someone sitting in Canberra’.
Premium Columnists Election 2022: To rebuild APS capacity, some at the very top will likely go April 28, 2022 By Bernard Keane Editors' Picks After nine years of Coalition government, there are generational problems within the APS that will take an extended period to address.
Premium Columnists Election 2022: Policies need to stay in their lane April 27, 2022 By Geoff Edwards Editors' Picks A disempowered public service lacks the competence to coordinate between three levels of government and disparate geographic territories.
Premium Insights and analysis Election 2022: Public service doesn’t run the government, says Morrison April 26, 2022 By Tom Ravlic Editors' Picks Saying public servants do not matter when it comes to running the country should prompt a series of reflections.
Premium Insights and analysis Challenge for public service will be in budget details March 24, 2022 By Stephen Bartos Economy & Industry What budget promises are made can be hard to track. It will be left to the public service to pick up the trail once the election is over.
Premium Insights and analysis Treating the symptoms and addressing the excesses October 7, 2021 By Bernard Keane Australian Capital Territory For some, the APS is just another vested interest trying to distort policy like corporations, lobbyists, think tanks and consultants.
Premium Insights and analysis Soft corruption and weak administration — the match made in hell October 6, 2021 By Bernard Keane Australian Capital Territory Soft corruption — private advantage at the expense of the public interest — is always about clever exploitation of the rules rather than breaking them.