Yesterday
myGov to be single entry portal after agencies told to get on board
All major federal services will be able to be accessed through a single portal after it was agreed to mandate the consolidation of services onto the myGov platform.
- Tom Burton
This Month
Next chief of welfare giant Services Australia is a digital expert
David Hazlehurst is to be announced as the next CEO of Services Australia and to lead a series of reforms for the myGov service portal.
- Tom Burton
November
Face scan logons, protection from Optus-like hacks in services revamp
Passwords are on the way out for digital services from the federal governments, as the myGov portal embraces a new secure passkey technology aimed at stopping scams.
- Tom Burton
Centrelink, Medicare wait time blowout sparks 3000 new hires
Services Australia’s budget will get a $228 million boost to meet a sharp spike in welfare and health claims and delays dealing with them.
- Tom Burton
October
Tony Burke’s department moves to strike
Staff at the department dealing with the government’s sweeping industrial relations bill could be walking off the job over pay within weeks.
- David Marin-Guzman
September
Pay strike to hit Centrelink, child welfare agencies
The Albanese government is facing its first strike in an expected wave of industrial action by public servants protesting over its 11 per cent pay offer.
- David Marin-Guzman
August
Albanese offers public servants the largest pay increase in a decade
The Albanese government has upped its pay offer to 11.2 per cent and tabled paternity and carers leave extensions in the hope it will settle the first major industrial negotiation with its 182,000 civilian workforce.
- Tom Burton
- Opinion
- Consulting
The public service still needs consultants – but far fewer of them
The use of external contractors has gone too far, but reform shouldn’t wind back the clock for answers. The challenge is to get the balance right.
- Andrew Podger
July
Public servants strike against 10.5pc pay rise, four-day-week rejection
Internal work bans at Services Australia are to start on Tuesday amid further threats of rolling stoppages as public sector unions seek pay increases to match inflation.
- Tom Burton
Robo-debt ‘bullies, sycophants’ not the public service Shorten knows
A cabal of bullies and sycophants was responsible for suppressing frank and fearless advice about robo-debt, Bill Shorten says.
- Ronald Mizen
- Opinion
- Federal election
How welfare bashing exposed government at its worst
The Holmes royal commission’s recommendations are about replacing the meanness and political expediency of recent times with a spirit of serving the public.
- Updated
- Laura Tingle
June
Services Australia axing of Serco contract sparks union blowback
The union has branded the federal government’s actions “unacceptable” after it gave more than 600 call centre workers two weeks’ notice of termination.
- David Marin-Guzman and Tom Burton
April
Shorten flags consequences for robo-debt enablers
Senior public servants involved in overseeing the illegal robo-debt scheme could face consequences if adverse findings are made by a royal commission.
- Maeve Bannister
March
- Analysis
- Government Observed
How the robo-debt catastrophe opened the door to blue-sky reforms
After the ignominy of robo-debt Services Australia is fundamentally redesigning frontline centres around the needs of customers.
- Tom Burton
February
- Analysis
- Robo-debt royal commission
Bad government on display for all to see in robo-debt debacle
The robo-debt scheme continued for more than two years despite mounting advice it was both unlawful and inaccurate, and would never make its targets.
- Tom Burton
- Analysis
- Government Observed
MyGov review rethinks how the government should work
The review team heard many suggestions to unleash the full potential of the federal service portal, but there’s little point having a flash front door if the foyer is a consumer mish-mash.
- Tom Burton
January
Call for lobbying reforms to fix ‘dismal’ disclosure rules
Lobbying needs a specialist independent regulator and all lobbyists should be required to fully and meaningfully document the meetings they have with ministers and officials, according to an academic expert.
- Tom Burton
December 2022
Inside the Optus hack that woke up Australia
The telco’s CEO, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, gives her first interview about the cyberattack that caused a political storm and revealed the power of personal data.
- Paul Smith
Morrison seeks cabinet privilege waiver ahead of robodebt appearance
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison is seeking to waive cabinet confidentiality ahead of appearance before the robodebt royal commission next week.
- Tom Burton
September 2022
Who will lead citizen-first government in Canberra?
The roll-out the new multibillion-dollar myGov service platform offers the government a huge opportunity to finally embrace true citizen-centric government.
- Tom Burton
