Archived News for Professionals in Federal Government - July, 2015
Treasurer Joe Hockey cannot bring himself to question the value of negative gearing.
Slow wage talks push specialists to strike
Public servants at Murray Darling-Basin Authority have voted to strike over their ongoing pay and conditions battle.
Federal cabinet shifts Shenhua concerns
The stoush in the Federal Government over the approval of a massive coal mine in New South Wales continues, and it appears no one wants to take responsibility for granting the green light.
IP innovation in GovHack 2015
GovHack has returned for 2015, with the competition bringing 1,800 people together to innovate, collaborate and apply their creative skills to open government data.
Plenty at risk in wind power switch
The Abbott Government has put international investment, local jobs and its own reputation at risk by instructing the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to move away from wind energy.
Big cuts blamed for busted tax system
Shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh says the Australian Tax Office's (ATO) online tax lodgement system is lagging because of Abbott Government job cuts in the public service.
Joyce and Hunt tussle over huge mine approval
Environment Minister Greg Hunt has approved the huge – and hugely contentious – Shenhua Watermark coal mine in New South Wales, sparking outrage from his colleague Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce.
Parliament workers stand strong while safety staff sign on
Staff at Canberra's Parliament House are preparing to walk off the job while the extraordinarily slow Federal public sector wage negotiations continue.
Unsigned PHN contracts could leave big gaps
There are claims this week that mental health patients in rural and regional areas could wait months to see psychologists, due to problems with the Government's new Primary Health Networks (PHNs).
Help in dry times creates state divide
With rainfall totals at their lowest on record in parts of western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia, weather forecasters say conditions are getting worse.
Lazarus goes deep to push Abbott on gas
Independent Queensland Senator Glenn Lazarus has threatened to grab the Prime Minister Tony Abbott's genitals if he does not limit coal seam gas (CSG) exploration.
Flag rules leave more crews in dire straits
The crew of a Rio Tinto-chartered ship has caught the eye of the International Transport Federation (ITF), following reports it has underplayed its crew and left them in poor conditions.
Australian archive to stash digital art
Australian works of digital literature will soon be collected and preserved by Canberra’s National Library of Australia (NLA), after new legislation was adopted by Federal Parliament.
Big dam plan to set new regional path
The Federal Government finally released its long-awaited Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper over the weekend, which includes hundreds of millions of dollar set aside for new dams, roads and other infrastructure.
Expert says powerful change needed
One Australian expert suggests radical reforms are needed in Australia’s energy regulatory system to cut electricity and gas bills for consumers.
NBN's new maps pass politicians' doors
NBN is ramping up the rollout of its ‘multi-technology mix’, and curiously, the electorates of both the Prime Minister and Treasurer are on the list.
ABS figures bring call to look beyond mining
Figures show Australia's trade deficit narrowed in May, but the record trade deficit from April has been revised to be even wider.
Carbon quest shouldn't be slowed by business, CCA says
The Climate Change Authority (CCA) says industry groups should not be concerned about aggressive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions unfairly harming energy-hungry industries.
Gonski gone, disadvantage deepens
New research has found that that school funding in its current state is “politically, financially and educationally unsustainable”.
Bi-partisan silence law meets loud opposition
A group of 40 former health workers contracted to work in immigration detention facilities have dared the Federal Government to charge them for reporting abuse and mistreatment.