obviously low risk - what're the odds it'd happen to the same guy twice?

The main US liberal complaint about Trump has always been the aesthetics.

Another iteration of the story of the tragic hero Renee Leon stopping Robodebt only to be sacked.

As revealed in the Robodebt RC, it was a decision of ERC to stop it. Leon's contribution was pushing the stop button slightly before she was formally instructed to.

It's quite remarkable just how terribly the obsession with means testing and offsetting saves has ruined the ability of the social security system to make payment in accordance with the law.

Curious to see whether the plan to reduce Services Australia's budget by 20% starting from 1 July 2026 will improve or worsen things.

Another week, another report into how Services Australia mismanages the social security system - this time to the tune of a billion dollars a year for the age pension

Not sure you got to give it to the AFR in trying to manufacture a claim the government is being secretive, when MYEFO provides a pretty good breakdown of what the extra spending is forecast to be on

But got to give it to the AFR looking at what has been happening to the Coalition this week and deciding that what they need to do is act on a hot tip from an advisor for the opposition spokesperson for the treasury.

you mean it's been reported through the public documentation included in every budget and MYEFO update since forever?

The APSC should have pushed for "vibes" to become a core APS value, instead of "stewardship".

If only there was some other report into the culture of Services Australia and DSS SES in the 2010s and early 2020s about escalating bad news to senior executives.

Services Australia should have been abolished after the Robodebt RC

Incredibly ableist of everyone to make fun of Pete's slur-friendly nameplate.

sad to report that I am responsible for the thing I was responsible for

I'd guess that they'll hold a big press conference to announce its use on Dezi Freeman, and then forget about it for the next decade.

Shorten wins 2019, struggles to implement his still limited agenda before the bushfires where he somehow pulls of another Beaconsfield in terms of public PR, he gets the COVID bump like almost every other leader and wins convincingly in 2022, and does... nothing with it.

exciting future news for APS FoI enjoyers: AI handling of FOI requests

Who knew there were so many consultants at CSIRO?

Why didn't the head of the NACC correct the record, instead of waiting for someone else to do it?

The ALP would then gut the Social Services portfolio several years later for zero obvious purpose other than maybe Albo sticking it to Plibbers.

One of the amazing things about Robodebt is that the ALP was handed the perfect opportunity to completely remake the APS however it liked - both on a personnel and structural basis - and then decided to keep everything exactly as it was.

The OAIC's 2023-24 annual report has a great little compare/contrast of the eSafety and an agency that saw an even bigger increase in FOI requests.

meanwhile, over at the Productivity Commission...

less embarrassing in either case than DEWR's management of the contract

I've been training me entire life for this moment

oh now I see where the brilliant idea to do another APS agency podcast in 2025 came from

If it’s a narrative dice system I am going to scream.

Also, why do this in two parts once in late May the other in late June. What could have possibly happened in a month post-election that caused a decision to nuke the Social Services portfolio twice.

Hmm, wonder why it was that NDIA SES were individually tracking stories of rorters for Shorten.