June 2023
- Analysis
- Government Observed
Why the public service is missing – or ignoring – rorts and wrongdoing
A high-level taskforce is overhauling the many checks and controls that so obviously failed to stop wrongdoings surrounding the robo-debt scheme, a billion dollars of grants, and PwC’s confidentiality breaches.
- Updated
- Tom Burton
- Opinion
- Sustainability
A stunning achievement: WSU’s global No. 1 sustainability ranking
Western Sydney University serves a unique demographic. And that helps explain why it is the best in the world at addressing ESG challenges.
- Jennifer Westacott
May 2023
Australia’s top WeWork still an ‘Old Farts Club’
O’Connell St Associates has been getting more diverse. There are still some holding back the exclusive board members club.
- Mark Di Stefano
November 2022
Time to add colour and diversity to university sector, says Glyn Davis
Australia’s 40 universities are pretty much indistinguishable from each other, the nation’s most senior public servant says, but he believes the new higher education accord can change that.
- Julie Hare
October 2022
- Opinion
- Coronavirus pandemic
Pandemic decisions cannot be made on the run: independent review
Australia’s next disaster needs broad teams of experts in place and public servants who can talk easily across state and federal boundaries.
- Peter Shergold
- Opinion
- Coronavirus pandemic
How Australian governments got COVID so wrong
The review of Australia’s COVID response reveals the cost of lockdowns and border closures. But don’t expect premiers or the former prime minister to concede errors.
- Jennifer Hewett
- Exclusive
- Vocational training
Are new institutes of applied technology the future of training?
The NSW government will next year launch two new training centres that will produce 26,000 people with advanced digital and construction skills within four years.
- Julie Hare
February 2022
When culture trumps strategy
A major review is probing into how to restore the loss of confidence stymieing rapid decision-making and hindering efforts to bring new talent into the Australian Public Service.
- Tom Burton
August 2021
- Exclusive
- University
NSW strategy to harness universities’ contribution to state economy
The state’s new strategy for tertiary education will look to increase participation in tertiary education and boost R&D drive innovation.
- Julie Hare
March 2021
Digitising property; a year of health lessons; modernising work, unfair trading
Tom Burton’s Inside Government newsletter 19 March 2021
- Tom Burton
November 2020
- Analysis
- Coronavirus pandemic
JobKeeper given tick of approval in new report card
It has been a time of rushed decisions, lockdowns and federal-state blame-shifting but the government's response to the pandemic was "sound", say two think tanks that don't always agree.
- Andrew Clark
August 2020
Education at the front of economy-wide reform
The components have been put in place – all it needs is will power to push the process ahead, says Deloitte Access Economics partner John O'Mahony.
- Robert Bolton
July 2020
Why it's not wrong to leave school at the end of year 10
If students keep learning it's not a problem if they leave before year 12.
- Robert Bolton
March 2020
School's out, and Year 12 students are worried
All states say they are going ahead with exams but just preparing for them is proving difficult.
- Robert Bolton
December 2019
'I knew I could go further with that': How students game the ATAR
Experts warn that too much emphasis is being put on achieving a winning score on the university entrance rankings. Try telling that to students.
- Robert Bolton
November 2019
Policy-making process mostly 'flawed, mediocre'
Separate reports by two think tanks have found that in 14 out of 20 cases reviewed, federal and state government decision-making processes were either flawed or mediocre.
- Andrew Clark