During Ukraine’s darkest hours, Volodymyr Zelensky has shown himself to be a man for the people, of the people — not just in rhetoric, but more importantly, in action.
Traditional media, particularly print, are in decline as audiences move online.
Patrick Meinhardt / AFP via Getty Images
Today’s journalism students are less likely to find full-time jobs as professional journalists. The craft has become ‘post-industrial’, entrepreneurial and atypical.
New data show bullying is widespread in the public service, with many reluctant to report it. There are several key ways to change this.
As governments depend on multinational consulting firms not just for advice on COVID-19 but for core policy-making functions, we should question the extent to which such partnerships have really augmented government capacities — or hollowed them out.
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Since the beginning of the pandemic, governments in Canada have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on outside consulting firms like McKinsey, Deloitte and EY with almost no public oversight.
But media coverage misses the nuances of the role. This is what we found when we spoke to them.
Pupils wear face masks in their classroom while a teacher writes on the board at a school in Kinshasa on August 10, 2020.
Photo by Arsene Mpiana/AFP via Getty Images
Police are sworn to protect the public, but cadets are still trained for battle – not public service – according to a new study examining all 50 US state police academy curricula.
According to a recent survey of public servants by the Commissioner of Official Languages, more than 44 per cent of French-speakers are uncomfortable using French at work.
CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
A recent survey reveals a general uneasiness about using French among both francophone and anglophone public servants in administrative regions where bilingualism is required.
In ancient Athens, only the richest people paid taxes on wealth, and they were happy to do it.
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In ancient Athens, the richest people paid taxes to support what the residents considered the salvation of the city. These taxes earned them social and political clout more valuable than money.
A strong ICAC – unlike the body the federal government is proposing – would have had the power to properly and impartially investigate the “sports rorts” affair.
The Morrison government has rejected any recommendations that would strengthen the independence of the public service.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
While the long-awaited Thodey Report makes many sensible recommendations, the detail is often missing and the analysis weak. And the government’s response rules out key reforms.
Scott Morrison has rejected or sidelined a number of recommendations from the long-awaited Thodey review.
AAP/Paul Braven
A proposal to ensure changes to the machinery of government “are well planned and evaluated” received short shrift.
Andrew Metcalfe, sacked by prime minister Tony Abbott, has done a full circle and is being appointed to head the new department of agriculture, water and the environment by Morrison.
Alan Porritt/AAP
Morrison said the shrinking of the number of departments was “to ensure the services that Australians rely on are delivered more efficiently and effectively”.
Delivering the Parliamentary Library Lecture on Tuesday, Podger said the incentives for senior public servants had changed, and this had affected the way they acted.
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The former public service commissioner said the relationship between ministers and the Australian public service has transformed from a partnership to one more like “master-servant”.
Morrison describes the “the bacon and eggs principle” where “the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed”.
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Ahead of the formal receipt of the Thodey report on the public service, Morrison stresses the service must be responsive to both its ministers and the “quiet Australians”.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
Michelle Grattan reviews another busy week in federal politics, and take a look at the prime minister’s major speech on Monday on the public service.
Beth Noveck and Rod Glover argue that to reverse the ‘creeping crisis’ faced by the public service, the government must train public servants to use creative problem-solving methods.
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On the ‘creeping crisis’ in the public service
The Conversation, CC BY28.8 MB(download)
A timely study of the public service, titled Today's problems, Yesterday's toolkit discusses the ‘creeping crisis’ of effectiveness and legitimacy the Australian public service is facing.
The public service has been slow to adopt innovation in Australia – and this is a problem when it comes to effective government in the 21st century.
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