The Victorian government has announced it will quickly follow the New South Wales government in rolling out voluntary digital birth certificates for people willing to opt in to what is hoped will become a highly secure, nationally consistent, user-controlled credential framework. Some five years after a foundational digital identity credential
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has confirmed new diplomatic appointments to Singapore, Ukraine, Israel, and Lebanon. Robyn Mudie, former ambassador to Vietnam and high commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, steps up as Australia’s next high commissioner to Singapore. She replaces outgoing high commissioner Allaster Cox. Geoff Bowan, DFAT
The government reignited accusations of secrecy last week by tabling another batch of heavily redacted responses to orders for the production of documents (OPDs). The Senate had passed a record 142 OPDs during this parliament, as of February 3. The parliamentary departments were already noting a “substantial increase” late last
Welcome back to The Mandarin’s Monday Briefing, your weekly breakdown on a single issue relevant to the Australia’s public services. First off the rank this year is the fresh addendum to the National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA), which will see the Commonwealth government provide an extra $25 billion in
Australia’s relationship with Indonesia is “stronger than ever”, as the two countries sign a landmark security pact. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto ratified the treaty during a signing ceremony in Jakarta on Friday, elevating defence ties between the two countries. Under the Treaty of Jakarta, both
“Measurement of efficiency is rare across the [public] sector. Without efficiency measures, it is difficult to know whether entities are delivering value for money, improvements or savings are possible, or whether public resources are being used well.” That’s just one of the salient observations contained in the Australian National Audit
More older Australians are struggling with the cost of living than stereotypes would have you believe, according to the 2025 State of the Older Nation (SOTON) report. It reveals considerable disparities in financial security, access to health and other critical services. Addressing the National Press Club on Wednesday, Council on
For Australia — a middle power that lives and dies by regional stability — the tone of America’s 2026 National Defense Strategy matters as much as its substance. Caught between its US ally and biggest trading partner, China, Canberra has everything riding on how Washington manages this rivalry. When the
It’s a logistics feat that went largely unnoticed over the Christmas break, but Australia quietly delivered 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine in December to bolster the besieged nation’s armoured divisions in its fight against Russian forces. The highly protected delivery came at a time when Australia is rapidly pivoting
Prime Minister & Cabinet secretary Steven Kennedy has told an audience in Canberra that the APS faces challenging and rapid change and must stay focused on keeping up to adapt. Addressing an IPAA ACT event marking the start of the new year, the top mandarin spoke of the Bondi terrorism
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has told parliament that the terrorism charges against a 31-year-old man carry a maximum prison sentence of life. “On the 26th of January, the man is alleged to have thrown a home-made explosive device into the crowd at a rally in Perth,” the PM said. “This
Simon Duggan will succeed Natalie James as secretary of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR). Duggan is a career public servant who most recently worked as deputy secretary of energy as the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). Prior to joining DCCEEW, he was
The Victorian government has announced it will quickly follow the New South Wales government in rolling out voluntary digital birth certificates for people willing to opt in to what is hoped will become a highly secure, nationally consistent, user-controlled credential framework. Some five years after a foundational digital identity credential
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has confirmed new diplomatic appointments to Singapore, Ukraine, Israel, and Lebanon. Robyn Mudie, former ambassador to Vietnam and high commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, steps up as Australia’s next high commissioner to Singapore. She replaces outgoing high commissioner Allaster Cox. Geoff Bowan, DFAT
The government reignited accusations of secrecy last week by tabling another batch of heavily redacted responses to orders for the production of documents (OPDs). The Senate had passed a record 142 OPDs during this parliament, as of February 3. The parliamentary departments were already noting a “substantial increase” late last
Welcome back to The Mandarin’s Monday Briefing, your weekly breakdown on a single issue relevant to the Australia’s public services. First off the rank this year is the fresh addendum to the National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA), which will see the Commonwealth government provide an extra $25 billion in
Australia’s relationship with Indonesia is “stronger than ever”, as the two countries sign a landmark security pact. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto ratified the treaty during a signing ceremony in Jakarta on Friday, elevating defence ties between the two countries. Under the Treaty of Jakarta, both
“Measurement of efficiency is rare across the [public] sector. Without efficiency measures, it is difficult to know whether entities are delivering value for money, improvements or savings are possible, or whether public resources are being used well.” That’s just one of the salient observations contained in the Australian National Audit
More older Australians are struggling with the cost of living than stereotypes would have you believe, according to the 2025 State of the Older Nation (SOTON) report. It reveals considerable disparities in financial security, access to health and other critical services. Addressing the National Press Club on Wednesday, Council on
For Australia — a middle power that lives and dies by regional stability — the tone of America’s 2026 National Defense Strategy matters as much as its substance. Caught between its US ally and biggest trading partner, China, Canberra has everything riding on how Washington manages this rivalry. When the
It’s a logistics feat that went largely unnoticed over the Christmas break, but Australia quietly delivered 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine in December to bolster the besieged nation’s armoured divisions in its fight against Russian forces. The highly protected delivery came at a time when Australia is rapidly pivoting
Prime Minister & Cabinet secretary Steven Kennedy has told an audience in Canberra that the APS faces challenging and rapid change and must stay focused on keeping up to adapt. Addressing an IPAA ACT event marking the start of the new year, the top mandarin spoke of the Bondi terrorism
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has told parliament that the terrorism charges against a 31-year-old man carry a maximum prison sentence of life. “On the 26th of January, the man is alleged to have thrown a home-made explosive device into the crowd at a rally in Perth,” the PM said. “This
Simon Duggan will succeed Natalie James as secretary of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR). Duggan is a career public servant who most recently worked as deputy secretary of energy as the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). Prior to joining DCCEEW, he was
