Ed Straw and Ray Ison write in Pearls and Irritations ICAC urges ban on secret meetings with lobbyists. In other words, ICAC practitioners imagine a new system for governing…or do they? What is ‘their system’s’ purpose and how might it work out in the long run? Some general features pertain.
The professional lobbyist...
Bernard Keane writes in The GuardianSeveral long-term trends are now intersecting in a way that is going to deepen economic divisions in Australia, as well as undermine growth ahead of what may become a significant slowdown in 2023.
The global energy price boom is undoubtedly great news for Australia’s big...
Another auditor-general review of the Coalition’s Cashless Debit Card (CDC) trial has revealed the lack of any useful evaluation of the trial within the Morrison government and an apparent indifference to establishing whether the card delivered any of its claimed benefits.
The auditor-general has revealed how no proper evaluation of...
Alan Kohler writes in The New Daily.On Monday this week, there were two unconnected events that had an invisible, but important common thread.
First, AGL Energy gave up its plan to split into two and lost its CEO and chairman, finding itself without leadership or a plan; and second, the...
Barry Ferguson wrote Competing for Influence: The role of the public service in better government in Australia and argues today:
Since it was promised by the Morrison government in 2018, some form of national integrity commission has been in the offing. And it seems our new government will go with...
Grants scheme was ‘industrial’ pork-barrelling
An infamous Berejiklian government grants scheme that resulted in millions of dollars flowing mostly to Coalition electorates has been described by the head of the NSW corruption watchdog as blatant, politically motivated porkbarrelling.
Federal government rules against pork-barrelling are significantly more robust than those in NSW,...
Albanese appoints former University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Glyn Davis to head PM&C
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Anthony Albanese is bringing in an outsider, former University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Glyn Davis to head his Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Davis, who is close to former prime minister Kevin Rudd, was...
Katharine Murphy The Guardian's Political editor writes
Labor has now secured 77 seats, which means Anthony Albanese will govern with a majority in the 47th parliament. The new prime minister advised his caucus colleagues on Tuesday not to waste a day of government and it’s fair to say the new...
Compare Denmark in the 1980's
Denmark's State revenue
State revenue from the North Sea activities derives from three elements.
State revenue from the North Sea activities derives from hydrocarbon tax (a rate of 52 per cent) and corporate income tax (a rate of 25 per cent).
In addition to taxes and fees, the...
Will Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s shiny “gentler, kinder politics” break News Corp? Or will News Corp, once again, triumph over the paradigm of nice? For the incoming government, it’s political. For News Corp, it’s existential.
Every day, News Corp (and its Fox sibling) makes its money out of the outrage...