Robin Mack has been appointed managing director of Tourism Australia. Mack has been acting in the role since Phillipa Harrison’s unexpected departure in August last year. He permanently takes the role at a challenging time for the agency, with a recent corruption probe, an exceptionally bad audit, and questions about
The Mandarin is proud to present The Policy Playbook: an authoritative, practical resource for all public policy practitioners. Written by leading experts Catherine Althaus, Suhit Anantula, and Pia Andrews, this easy-to-read playbook offers a rigorous, adaptive framework to help public servants develop and deliver better policies and policy outcomes. It
A royal commission examining the Bondi terror attack will be an impetus for change across the community, Australia’s chief envoy for antisemitism says. After weeks of pressure following the December 14 attack, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a royal commission would be held into antisemitism and social cohesion. Former High
The Tax Practitioners Board begins 2026 with a new secretary to head the administrative side of its regulatory activities. Former ATO heavyweight Andrew Orme has been appointed to the plum role at the TPB, overseeing operations at the tax agent regulator. Orme once worked at law firm Clayton Utz before
The Trump administration will withdraw from dozens of international organisations, including the UN’s population agency and the UN treaty that establishes international climate negotiations, as the US further retreats from global co-operation. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order suspending US support for 66 organisations, agencies and ...
The Federal Court has revealed elements of the Australian Public Service Commission’s code of conduct processes in a ruling in favour of the APSC. An assistant director for the APSC CALD Employment Strategy Taskforce alleged the commission took adverse action against her, amounting to “discrimination and degradation of my professional
The Victorian government has appointed Adam Fennessy as the interim head of the Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority (VECRA). In this role, Fennessy will lead the setup of the state’s new independent early childhood education watchdog, established in the wake of an abuse scandal in Victorian childcare centres. He will
Cattle industry advocate David Connolly has been appointed 24th administrator of the Northern Territory. A former NT Cattlemen’s Association president, Connolly replaces former physician and public health officer Hugh Heggie on January 30. Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said Connolly embodied the NT spirit. “He is a true cattleman, a sharp
Western Australia’s next electoral commissioner, Dennis O’Reilly, will begin in his new permanent role from late January. O’Reilly has been acting in the role since May. He replaces outgoing electoral commissioner Robert Kennedy, who resigned this month. He previously served as a strategy and performance deputy director general at WA’s
Cath Patterson has joined the Department of Defence from Finance as an associate secretary with a mission to integrate different parts of the organisation — specifically boosting the areas of enterprise transformation and prioritisation. Commencing this month, the senior mandarin has joined from Finance’s budget group, where she oversaw advice
The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 top career diplomats from overseas, including from the Pacific, as it installs personnel deemed fully supportive of the president’s “America First” priorities. The chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were informed last week that their tenures would end in January, according
This has been a year of exhilarating highs and some reflexive forehead-slapping lows for government officials and their public service workforce. Here’s a quick highlights reel for those who feel so spun-out by whip-lash turbulence, you hardly know what month it is. NSW ICAC shines light on spectacularly dodgy conduct
Robin Mack has been appointed managing director of Tourism Australia. Mack has been acting in the role since Phillipa Harrison’s unexpected departure in August last year. He permanently takes the role at a challenging time for the agency, with a recent corruption probe, an exceptionally bad audit, and questions about
The Mandarin is proud to present The Policy Playbook: an authoritative, practical resource for all public policy practitioners. Written by leading experts Catherine Althaus, Suhit Anantula, and Pia Andrews, this easy-to-read playbook offers a rigorous, adaptive framework to help public servants develop and deliver better policies and policy outcomes. It
A royal commission examining the Bondi terror attack will be an impetus for change across the community, Australia’s chief envoy for antisemitism says. After weeks of pressure following the December 14 attack, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a royal commission would be held into antisemitism and social cohesion. Former High
The Tax Practitioners Board begins 2026 with a new secretary to head the administrative side of its regulatory activities. Former ATO heavyweight Andrew Orme has been appointed to the plum role at the TPB, overseeing operations at the tax agent regulator. Orme once worked at law firm Clayton Utz before
The Trump administration will withdraw from dozens of international organisations, including the UN’s population agency and the UN treaty that establishes international climate negotiations, as the US further retreats from global co-operation. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order suspending US support for 66 organisations, agencies and ...
The Federal Court has revealed elements of the Australian Public Service Commission’s code of conduct processes in a ruling in favour of the APSC. An assistant director for the APSC CALD Employment Strategy Taskforce alleged the commission took adverse action against her, amounting to “discrimination and degradation of my professional
The Victorian government has appointed Adam Fennessy as the interim head of the Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority (VECRA). In this role, Fennessy will lead the setup of the state’s new independent early childhood education watchdog, established in the wake of an abuse scandal in Victorian childcare centres. He will
Cattle industry advocate David Connolly has been appointed 24th administrator of the Northern Territory. A former NT Cattlemen’s Association president, Connolly replaces former physician and public health officer Hugh Heggie on January 30. Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said Connolly embodied the NT spirit. “He is a true cattleman, a sharp
Western Australia’s next electoral commissioner, Dennis O’Reilly, will begin in his new permanent role from late January. O’Reilly has been acting in the role since May. He replaces outgoing electoral commissioner Robert Kennedy, who resigned this month. He previously served as a strategy and performance deputy director general at WA’s
Cath Patterson has joined the Department of Defence from Finance as an associate secretary with a mission to integrate different parts of the organisation — specifically boosting the areas of enterprise transformation and prioritisation. Commencing this month, the senior mandarin has joined from Finance’s budget group, where she oversaw advice
The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 top career diplomats from overseas, including from the Pacific, as it installs personnel deemed fully supportive of the president’s “America First” priorities. The chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were informed last week that their tenures would end in January, according
This has been a year of exhilarating highs and some reflexive forehead-slapping lows for government officials and their public service workforce. Here’s a quick highlights reel for those who feel so spun-out by whip-lash turbulence, you hardly know what month it is. NSW ICAC shines light on spectacularly dodgy conduct
