While welfare payments and tax shifts dominate National Commission of Audit’s wish list, there’s still plenty of potential pain points for the federal public sector.
1 May, 2014
After months of anticipation, the Treasurer and Finance Minister have released a review that is so ambitious, that many of its recommendations are unlikely to make it into policy.
1 May, 2014
Decades of sweating systems infrastructure has come back to haunt policymakers after the Treasurer cautioned replacements will cost ‘billions’.
29 April, 2014
The federal Treasurer and Justice Minister have announced a landmark probe into finding better ways to manage the billions of dollars needed to mop up after and mitigate environmental ravages.
29 April, 2014
The release of the government’s bargaining framework for the looming negotiations over pay and conditions shows that the government is digging in for a fight.
1 April, 2014
Medicare and Centrelink retail duties floated as a potential lifebuoy to stop mail from drowning in red ink.
21 March, 2014
By Julian Bajkowski and Paul Hemsley A friendly knock on the door every five years from a Census collector used to be the calling card of Australia’s annual statistical stocktake. But the era of thousands hitting suburban footpaths to measure national population trends is rapidly drawing to a close. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) […]
19 December, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has ratcheted up pressure on the Abbott government to resist a push to hive off thousands of federal public service jobs to multinational outsourcers like Serco and G4S – which it claims is likely to be recommended by the forthcoming National Commission of Audit. The […]
17 December, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) has released its annual stocktake of the federal bureaucracy with the grim warning that it is now “difficult to predict” how the cumulative impact of successive rounds of job cuts under both the Coalition and Labor will hit staff numbers. Tabled in Parliament on Monday afternoon, […]
2 December, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski If you ever thought the number of problem potholes and bumpy bridges on regional roads just seems to keep growing, you’re in good company. At least $11.6 billion in roads and bridge infrastructure maintained by cash-strapped councils across Australia are now in a poor to very poor condition according to the latest […]
14 November, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski The private sector and medical providers could soon have a much bigger say in how Australia’s ailing efforts to create a national system of electronic health and medical records unfolds. The Abbott government has revealed it now wants substantial input on what non-government providers can contribute to make eHealth a reality after […]
4 November, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski A proposal to use Australia Post’s retail footprint to deliver shopfront services for welfare agency Centrelink has drawn immediate fire from the union representing federal public servants. The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has warned that although a “one-stop shop where you can sort out your mum’s pension entitlements and pick-up […]
29 October, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski The union representing federal public servants has cautioned the Abbott government against instigating a Queensland-style “slash and burn” program of cuts through its National Commission of Audit announced this week. Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) National Secretary, Nadine Flood, said that although the new government “clearly has a mandate to conduct […]
24 October, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Initial details of the highly anticipated National Commission of Audit promised by the Abbott government have been released in Canberra by Treasurer Joe Hockey and Finance Minister Senator Matthias Cormann. The sweeping review of government functions, activities and spending will be chaired by Business Council of Australia president Tony Shephard. It will, […]
22 October, 2013End of content
No more pages to load
Roger Buhlert on: Revenue NSW automated debt recovery ‘unlawful’, ombudsman finds
Ron. Ismay. on: New laws introduced to clean up local government
Helen Ciampa on: New laws introduced to clean up local government