27 June 2006
Old House a National Treasure
Old Parliament House, the home of Australia's national Parliament from 1927 to 1988, has been entered on the National Heritage List.
   Prime Minister, John Howard said the building was a symbol of the Australian  nation's political heritage and the place where many of the best features of Australia’s democracy were formalised by the country's political founders.
   "Known originally as Provisional Parliament House and now as Old Parliament House, this building sits in both the heart of Canberra’s Parliamentary Triangle and in the heart of our nation," Mr Howard said.
   The Australian Government changed just seven times in the years that the building was home to the national Parliament. Politicians witnessed the passage of historic legislation and the creation of new political parties.
   Mr Howard said Australia was governed from Old Parliament House through conflict and enormous social change. It is the place where Sir Robert Menzies served his record term as Prime Minister and where Prime Ministers John Curtin and Ben Chifley lay in state. Prime Minister Gough Whitlam addressed the nation from the front steps of the building after his dismissal by the Governor-General in 1975.
   Mr Howard said Old Parliament House would always be an important part of our political history with its rich collection of original furniture, art and memorabilia helping to illustrate the story of Australia's political customs and functions.
   "It is appropriate that this place of outstanding significance to our nation receives Australia's most prestigious heritage recognition," Mr Howard said.
   Provisional Parliament House was opened by the Duke and Duchess of York on 9 May 1927.  Parliament vacated Provisional Parliament House and moved to its new home in Parliament House on 9 May 1988.
   Old Parliament House was re-opened to the public by former Prime Ministers John Gorton and Gough Whitlam, 15 December 12.
    It is the 31st entry on the Heritage List.

27 June 2006
Agency Not Kidding Over Child Support Crackdown
Parents who deliberately avoid paying the correct amount of child support could find themselves caught up in a new $143 million compliance crackdown.
   Angela Tillmanns, former Manager of the Agency’s Queensland office, has been appointed to head up the program and her team is expected to generate an extra $460 million in child support for children over four years.
   Ms Tillmanns, who has almost 30 years experience in the public sector, said that most parents genuinely wanted to do the right thing for their children but may not be aware they were not meeting their responsibilities under the law.
    “Helping people to do the right thing is always our first port of call,” Ms Tillmanns said, “and over the life of the child support scheme we have achieved 96 per cent compliance.”
    She said however, the Agency would still need a strong focus on parents who deliberately avoided paying the correct amount of child support because that was not fair to the other parent, the children involved or to taxpayers who contributed through increased family tax payments.
   Ms Tillmanns said the extra funding for the crackdown would increase CSA’s compliance program in five main areas:

• working closely with the Australian Tax Office to improve the rate and timeliness of lodgements of payer tax returns to increase the accuracy of payments, which could lead to an additional 100,000 parents referred to ATO (compared with the current 24,000 referred);
• increasing by six-fold the number of investigations into parents who were deliberately minimising their taxable income to avoid paying child support (as parents become more clever about how they hide their income the CSA has to employ more skilled and senior staff to undertake complex investigations);
• more than doubling the use of Departure Prohibition Orders - a very effective approach where people with child support debt are prevented from leaving the country;
• increasing the scale of the currently successful Intensive Debt Collection program by more than two and a half times, which would target an additional 22,500 parents per year; and
• where Intensive Debt Collection was unsuccessful CSA would have increased resources to take an additional 650 parents to court per year which is at least double the current number.

    “As always, court action will only be considered when all other possible avenues of resolution have been exhausted,” Ms Tillmanns said.
    Ms Tillmanns encouraged parents with child support debts to contact the CSA and negotiate a repayment schedule as the chances of getting caught were increasing all the time.

27 June 2006
Socceroos Kick Goals for Aussie Exporters
Austrade is urging Australian exporters to make the most of Latin America’s increased interest in Australia generated by the Socceroos campaign I the World Cup, especially their match against Brazil.
   Chief Economist at Austrade, Tim Harcourt said the Socceroos’ performance in Germany had not only increased awareness of Australia’s rapidly developing skills in the world game but their success was an effective international promotion of Australia.
    “Latin America is an increasingly attractive place to do business thanks to the region’s strengthening economic performance and commitment to democracy and the closer ties Australia is developing with the region,” Mr Harcourt said.
   “Interest in Australia is particularly strong in [Brazil].”
   Austrade’s Senior Trade Commissioner in Sao Paulo, Mark Argar, said he was amazed at the Brazilian public’s enormous interest in Australia brought about by the Socceroos.
    “The passion of Latin American football supporters is a well known fact, and the Socceroos participation in the World Cup and early success in Germany has sparked a lot of Brazilian interest in Australia, its people and economy,” Mr Argar said.
    “Now is the time for Australian exporters to consider the business opportunities available in a region with well over 400 million consumers.
   He said Latin America offered Australian businesses readily accessible markets with sophisticated consumers, increasingly stable governments and political systems, and an economic climate that was conducive to doing business.
   Mr Harcourt said Austrade had a network of offices across Latin America to help Australian businesses develop export opportunities in the region.

27 June 2006
IBM Let In At Immigration
IBM has been selected as the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs’ preferred partner to implement a $495 million IT systems modernisation program, “Systems for People.
   The deal was announced by, Parliamentary Secretary, Andrew Robb, who said the Department had a large number of databases in Australia and overseas which recorded all contacts made with any individual client."
   “This change program will enable access to this contact data as required and give staff a single, comprehensive view of all dealings with any client," Mr Robb said.
   He said the total program would cost $495 million over four years, IBM working with DIMA to implement major technology improvements in its business operations.
   Mr Robb said IBM had made strong commitments to DIMA that the program would be undertaken as one of its global priority projects.Nuclear Drug Supply Active Again
Shipments of the key radiopharmaceutical, technetium-m, used in diagnosing and treating cancer and other illnesses have been resumed following problems at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) at Lucas Heights, Sydney recently.
   Supply of the critical element had been held up for more than a week after a pipe ruptured in a production area.
   The shipments will significantly improve supply to patients waiting for nuclear medicine procedures, with clinics and hospitals around the country estimated to receive around 60 per cent of their supply in the first week after resumption, with more supplies due shortly after.
   A spoksperson for ANSTO said the rupture did not occur in their nuclear reactor but in a building away from the reactor where processing took place. The incident was completely unrelated to reactor operations, the spokesperson said.
   ANSTO production of another radiopharmaceutical, thallium, which could be used instead of technetium-m in some heart scans, was being increased to help address the current supply shortage.
   ANSTO was keeping all customers (including doctors, medical centres and hospitals) fully informed so that clinic schedules could be adapted to meet priority needs.
   Technetium-m is produced when the radioactivity in molybdenum-, which is produced in research reactors such as ANSTO’s HIFAR reactor, decays. ANSTO supplies molybdenum- to doctors via its Gentech generators, which allows medicos to milk the technetium when it’s needed. Most generators last about a week.

27 June 2006
No Sex Please, We’re Public Servants
   A Federal Court ruling that employers can be held liable for unlawful sexual harassment by an individual employee in certain situations, has prompted the Australian Government Solicitor to draw the matter to the attention of its clients.
   Special Counsel, Litigation, with the AGS, Paul Vermeesch, said the Court also said  the employer can be the only respondent to the court proceedings and that the employee alleged to have engaged in the unlawful conduct need not even be a joint respondent.
   The case reinforces the need for employers to have in place adequate programs for prevention of sexual discrimination and harassment within the workplace, including mechanisms for the reporting and investigation of alleged incidents of sexual harassment, Mr Vermeesch said.
   Sexual harassment and certain other discrimination are unlawful under the Sexual Discrimination Act (SDA) and complaints can be made to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC).
   Mr Vermeesch said that generally the President of HREOC is required to enquire into complaints and attempt to conciliate them. The President can also terminate complaints on various grounds, including where he or she is satisfied that there is no reasonable prospect of the matter being settled by conciliation.
   There is no time limit in which to make complaints to the HREOC, Mr Vermeesch said, however, the President may terminate a complaint on the ground that the complaint was lodged more than 12 months after the alleged unlawful discrimination took place.
   Where a complaint has been terminated, the complainant can then commence proceedings in the Federal Magistrates Court or Federal Court within 28 days of the issue of the notice of termination.
   Conduct involving alleged unlawful sexual harassment can often involve only two individual employees, the alleged perpetrator and victim. In such cases, the facts relevant to the allegations are peculiarly within the knowledge of the two individual employees.
   Mr Vermeesch said it was in the interests of employers to seek to ensure that complaints of unlawful harassment and discrimination were made and resolved in a timely fashion. This will assist employers in resisting deemed liability for the conduct of its employees, he said.

27 June 2006
Airservices and RAAF Fly United
Airservices Australia and the Royal Australian Air Force have taken the first step towards integrating their air traffic control services with a view to more efficient management of Australian airspace.
   The Joint Airservices/RAAF Terminal Control Unit was launched recently at the Airservices Australia facility at Perth International Airport by Airservices Chief Executive Officer, Greg Russell and Deputy Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal John Blackburn.
   All air traffic control services for Perth, Pearce RAAF Base and Jandakot Airports are to be  provided from the same facility.
    Ait Traffic Controllers at RAAF Base Pearce now share an operational room with Perth Airservices terminal controllers and use the Eurocat technology Airservices commissioned in 2000.
   The Pearce/Perth air traffic control integration is the first initiative of Project Genesis which proposes a single national air traffic management platform through integration of Defence and Airservices air traffic management, air traffic control training, licensing and maintenance.
   The next phase of Project Genesis is the potential transfer of the RAAF Tindal and Darwin airbase approach services into Airservices Brisbane air traffic control centre.
Project Genesis is also evaluating provision of other services to the RAAF including radar surveillance capability and consolidation of other RAAF approach services to Brisbane and Melbourne ATC Centres.
   Greg Russell said air traffic control consolidation by Defence and Airservices had been subject to significant review over many years and Project Genesis would implement the future national air traffic management system.
   Air Vice-Marshal Blackburn said Project Genesis would overcome the difficulties encountered by two different air traffic management systems being used by Airservices and Defence to control their respective air spaces.
   Both Air Vice-Marshal Blackburn and Mr Russell commended RAAF and Airservices staff for their work in creating a system that promised to enhance national security and air safety and result in greater efficiency for both organisations

27 June 2006
Defence to Put Heart Where Home Is
The problems faced by Defence repatriating Private Jake Kovko's body from Iraq have sparked a tightening of procedures for the handling of Defence Force personnel killed on duty overseas.
   Defence Force Chief, Air Chief Marshall Angus Houston said policy and procedures were being reviewed and would be informed by Brigadier Liz Cosson’s investigation into the return of Pte Kovco’s body from Iraq and by the Board of Inquiry into his death.
   Interim arrangements had been introduced and would take effect immediately, Army News reported.
   Until the final policy was determined, any personnel killed overseas on operations would be brought home on Australian aircraft accompanied by two ADF personnel. In such cases, the ADF would use RAAF transport or an ADF chartered aircraft wherever possible.
   “Defence will avoid using non-military mortuaries in the Middle East, where possible, but much will depend on the precise circumstances, including the locations and the numbers of casualties involved,” the ACM Houston said.
    “The key principle, as always, is that Defence people will handle repatriation matters with the utmost respect for their fallen colleagues and with concern for their families.”

27 June 2006
Filtered Families the Latest Web Weapon
Families are to be offered free filter programs for their home computers under a $117 million plan to protect children from internet predators and pornography.
   The National Filter Scheme is the centrepiece of the Government’s Protecting Families Online package. Protecting Families Online will also include measures to provide Australian libraries with free filters so computer corners at libraries across Australia will become child-friendly zones.
    Minister for Information Technology, Senator Helen Coonan said every parent in Australia would be eligible to receive a free filter for their home computer and the internet safety agency NetAlert will be better resourced to launch an education blitz across Australia to ensure all Australians know about the benefits of filtering out unwanted or illegal material.
   “Protecting Australian Families Online is about educating parents about the dangers lurking on the internet,’’ Senator Coonan said, “ and equipping them with the tools they need to make sure when their children venture into cyberspace, they do so safely.”
   Senator Coonan said the Government’s Protecting Australian Families Online package would put a safer internet experience within the grasp of every Australian family.
    “The Protecting Families Online package complements the range of measures already in place to protect Australian families including $35 million for the Australian Federal Police to ensure they have the powers and resources to target, infiltrate and shut-down organised online paedophile networks.”
   As part of the implementation of the package the National Library of Australia will also be required to provide filtering on all its public access internet terminals, with the option of disabling the filter when the terminals were being used by adults.
   In addition, NetAlert is to be co-located with the regulator – the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) – and receive an additional $5 million to expand its educational activities and more actively promote its website and 1800 number as a one-stop information shop for parents with internet safety concerns.
     A comprehensive national community education campaign will also be conducted to ensure that all Australian families are aware of the benefits of regulating their children’s Internet experience by using a safe and effective computer filter

27 June 2006
Jobs Network Getting the Job Done
Employment service providers achieved record numbers of jobs for the unemployed last year with more than 640,000 people matched up with jobs.
   And the Minister for Workforce Participation, Sharman Stone said 30 per cent of those were long term positions for disadvantaged job seekers.
    According to Dr Stone, “There has never been a better time to find a job in Australia.”
    She said unemployment had dropped to less than five per cent and many of the jobs being found for people were in the retail, hospitality and manufacturing sectors where people could train on the job.
   She said service providers had also had outstanding success finding jobs for single parents, the long term unemployed and people with a disability.
   “Over 90 per cent of those on parenting payments are women, many of whom have volunteered back to work, even though they remain eligible for welfare.”
   Dr Stone said that in the past 12 months a record 44,900 jobs had been found for job seekers receiving a Parenting Payment and more than 11,000 job seekers receiving the Disability Support Pension were placed in a job, up 45 per cent over the previous year and a new annual record.
   At present, only those able to work more than 30 hours a week in open employment are required to look for work but after 1 July, people able to work at least 15 hours a week would be supported back to part-time work where suitable jobs were available.
    Dr Stone said in the year to April 2006, more than a million new vacancies were lodged on the Job Network database, up four per cent on the previous 12 months.
   “We expect this figure to continue to increase as more employers become aware of the advantages of creating a flexible workplace and the availability of highly productive employees who have been long-term unemployed, parents, people with a disability and mature age people," Dr Stone said.

27 June 2006
Consumers Hooked By Phishing Expeditions
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has warned consumers to be wary of emails asking for personal banking details saying the incidence of phoney requests has increased dramatically and they hev become much more sophisticated.
   Known as “phishing”, the scams allow fraudsters to gather personal information for identity theft purposes and centre around the use of deceptive email messages that appear to come from legitimate businesses.
More than one in five of all consumer scam complaints received by ASIC related to phishing in the 2005-06 financial year, with the number of phishing complaints increasing by 25 per cent in the past two financial years.
 ASIC’s Executive Director of Consumer Protection, Greg Tanzer said “The techniques adopted by phishing scammers are becoming more sophisticated and are always changing, mostly due to the rapid increases in modern technology.”
 “In the past financial year, we found that scammers used a more targeted and personalised approach to request personal details. For example, emails and website links mirrored legitimate bank websites, and bogus job offers were used to coax people into providing bank account details.
   “We also found cases where requests were made for personal information through Ebay, and for online share trading accounts where scammers would ask for password details via telephone.”
Mr Tanzer said it was never more important for people to be wary of emails requesting personal details. He said the scammers or “phishers” were technically sophisticated and savvy, and the range of online fraud methods and systems were constantly changing.
 “I can’t stress it enough, never give your personal banking and other financial details by email,” Mr Tanzer said.
 “People, as well as banking institutions, must remain vigilant and look at how they can secure their online environment, and will need to continue to do so as these scams and threats are not, unfortunately, going to go away.”
Mr Tanzer offered the following tips to prevent people being defrauded:

• change your passwords frequently and use passwords that are hard to guess;
• ensure you have anti-virus and anti-spy software on your computer and a personal firewall, and update the software regularly;
• only log on to your internet banking account from your bank’s website;
• never respond to any email that requests your account details and passwords - delete these emails immediately;
• avoid using computers in public places such as internet cafes to do your online banking; and
• exit from your account as soon as you finish your banking.

More information on phishing and other financial matters for consumers is available from FIDO, ASIC’s consumer website, or by calling 1300 300 630.

27 June 2006
Senate Puts Committee House in Order
The Government has announced changes to the Senate committee system that would see two new committees established and others abolished to cut unnecessary duplication.
   Established in 1970, the Senate committee system has continually evolved, the current structure in which eight portfolio areas are served by two paired committees to examine legislation and references being set up in 14.
   The Government has decided that there is no longer any good reason for the duplication as the paired committees shared the same policy portfolios, the same secretariats and many of the same members.
   The Government’s Senate team said merging the paired committees would mean the portfolios covered could expand from eight to 10 and greater attention could be given to the issues that mattered to the Australian people.
   They propose that education, science and training and environment and heritage become stand alone committees, but are to consult with Senators and Senate parties on the final portfolio split.
   The proposal reflects the pre-14 Senate committee structure, with additional committees focusing on certain areas.
   Committee membership would be expanded and the Government would ask the Remuneration Tribunal to consider payments to Deputy Chairs in recognition of their  increased workload under the new merged system.
   The membership and chairmanship of the committees would reflect the composition of the Senate.
   The Government's Senate team put the proposals to party leaders and was to consult over the July recess, with a view to implementation in August.

27 June 2006
Capital Result for Canberra’s Population
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed a turnabout in the population fortunes of Australia’s capital city, showing for the first time in seven years that the number of people moving into the ACT from interstate was greater last year than those leaving.
   According to the Bureau, the ACT’s population of 326,700 at 31 December 2005 was up 2800 people (0.8 per cent) on the previous year.
   The Bureaus said changes in the total population growth rate for the ACT were driven by changes in net interstate migration, with low rates of population growth over recent years largely the result of interstate migration losses.
   After recording population losses due to net interstate migration since 18, Canberra enjoyed a small net gain (70 people) from interstate migration during the 2005 calendar year.
   Net overseas migration reduced the size of the ACT population by 380 during 2005. This represented the first net overseas migration loss for the ACT since 19.
   Natural increase continued to be the main source of population growth in the ACT, with 2800 people added to the population during 2005.  
   North Canberra recorded the largest growth in population during the year ended 30 June 2005 (860 people, or 2.1 per cent), followed by Gungahlin-Hall (750 people, or 2.5 per cent).  Tuggeranong suffered  the largest population decline (770 people, or 0.9 per cent).

27 June 2006
Inaction Planned for Week of Action
Unionists and supporters have beenurged to take approved leave and join community events as part of the National Week of Action for Your Rights at Work from 25 June to 1 July.
   The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) said the community events were not industrial action so participants should get approved leave such as flex, recreation leave or a rostered day off to attend during normal working hours.
   In the ACT, Wednesday 28 June was named Workplace Orange Day with staff encouraged to wear orange to work, decorate their workplaces and send a delegation to Senator Gary Humphries' office in Bunda Street, Civic.
   A rally and barbecue would be held in Queanbeyan from 12 noon to 2pm at Queanbeyan Park and major rallies in Sydney's Blacktown, in Wollongong, Tweed Heads, Bathurst, Newcastle and other capital cities and regional centres across the country were also planned.
   In Adelaide, workers were asked to access their special leave and donate blood to the Red Cross during National Action Week.
   A shame and name tour was to be held in Perth on Friday 30 June, starting at CCI at 180 Hay Street and led by ACTU president Sharan Burrow. A comedian was to entertain as employers that had been promoting WorkChoices to undercut  wages and conditions were visited.
   On Friday 30 June and Saturday 1 July, a sea of orange ribbons was to be planted at Federation Mall in Canberra between the new and old Parliament Houses.
   More information about the National Week of Action could be obtained from the CPSU.

27 June 2006
Mind Over Matter for New Kids’ Program
Australian primary schools are being invited to take part in the pilot-testing of a new mental health initiative that focuses on creating a positive school environment to promote children’s mental health and wellbeing.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing, Christopher Pyne, has welcomed “KidsMatter”, a program which aims to provide children with the skills and resources for successful schooling, social relationships and community participation.
KidsMatter also supports teachers, parents, families and school communities to provide early assistance to children at risk of developing mental health problems.
Mr Pyne saidthe Government developed KidsMatter in partnership with the anti-depression movement Beyond Blue, the Australian Psychological Society and the Australian Principals’ Association’s Professional Development Council.
 “Next to the family home, the school environment is perhaps the most significant of all influences that shape the mental and social development of our children,” Mr Pyne said.
 “Mentally healthy children are better learners. They have better relationships with their teachers, family members and friends, and they display greater resilience when it comes to meeting life’s challenges.”
Mr Pyne said the Australian Government recognised that some children and young people were at particular risk of developing mental health problems and that it was easier to treat mental health problems such as depression and anxiety when they were identified early.
 “The 2006-07 Budget demonstrated the Australian Government’s commitment to improving services for people with a mental illness, their families and carers by providing $1.9 billion over five years to ensure families, schools and health professionals receive support to recognise and tackle mental illness.”
KidsMatter builds on other Australian Government initiatives that targeted children and young people, including the highly successful MindMatters initiative for secondary schools and the new National Youth Mental Health Foundation.
   Mr Pyne said KidsMatter would initially be pilot-tested in 100 primary schools across Australia.
   Further information can be obtained from www.apapdc.edu.au .

27 June 2006
Defence Takes Aim at Long-Range Capacity

The Defence Capability Plan for the next 10 years has identified major capital equipment expenditure of more than $51 billion.
   The public version of the plan (DCP) outlines proposals to deliver the capability required by the Australian Defence Force to maintain Australia’s security.
   The 2005-06 Budget included an additional $2.4 billion over financial years 2011-12 to 2015-16 for the Defence Force, continuing the additional three per cent funding over 10 years announced in the 2000 Defence White Paper.
   The additional funding enables the DCP 2006-16 to address the rise in the price of military platforms and technology and by providing a public version of the plan to Australian industry the ADF was ensuring it continued to have the major equipment and systems it needed to do its job
   The Government said the DCP was a major document produced periodically following an ongoing review of Defence capability requirements. Australia’s National Security – A Defence Update 2005 fed into the review process and largely influenced the DCP 2006–16 which would bring Australia’s equipment acquisition and capability development strategy over the next decade into line with an increasingly complex security situation.
   The Government said the plan was based on advising capability effects and outcomes rather than platform replacement. This change is associated with improved capability development processes under the Kinnaird reforms.
   Planning flexibility had been built into the plan to manage the risk of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events occurring through changes in the strategic environment, technological development and the ability of defence industry to meet global demand.
   Important aspects of the plan include:
    * modifying helicopter plans ($3.7b) to reduce the number of aircraft types and create a common joint training and management system. 
    * new naval surface capability project worth more than $500 million to enhance the ANZAC class air search radar system and develop undersea warfare detection capabilities and sea mine counter-measures in 2017 to 2019.
    * Army networking projects boosted by 40 per cent as part of the Hardened and Networked Army initiative. This would support network centric warfare capability across the majority of Army units. Army’s 105mm and 155mm artillery replacements would  be deferred three years while Army’s Ground Based Air Defence capability is enhanced from 2018 to 2020 in a new project valued at more than $750 million.
    * continuing support for Australia’s air combat capability, including a $350 to $450 million mid-life upgrade of the Hawk lead-in fighter in 2017 to 2019 and future upgrades for the Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft. 
    * around $1 billion to refurbish or replace the C-130H Hercules and Caribou aircraft fleets, while the Orion AP-3C decision can be deferred for two years. An extra $250 million for the Multi-Mission UAV project – AIR 7000 Phase 1B.    
    * a boost for the ADF military satellite communications capability with more than $1 billion invested in next generation satellite and ground station infrastructure to ensure continuity of service and flexibility through digital content. 
    * a new improved logistics management system project worth more than $350 million, operational in 2012 to 2014

27 June 2006
Senior appointments
Afghan taskfore commander named
Lieutenant Colonel Mick Ryan has been appointed Commander of the Reconstruction Task Force (RTF) in Afghanistan.
The taskforce will deploy to Afghanistan in July to commence work on the construction of community-based projects around the Oruzgan Province.
Lieutenant Colonel Ryan is currently the Commanding Officer of the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment in Darwin.
.
SBS Board appointments
Patricia Azarias has been appointed to the Board of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), and existing Directors, Jillian Broadbent and Robert Cronin have been reappointed.
Ms Azarias was appointed for five years with Ms Broadbent and Mr Cronin reappointed for five and four years respectively.
Ms  Azarias is an economist, and recently returned to Australia after serving at the United Nations as Director of the Internal Audit Division for the past two years.
   Ms Broadbent is a consultant and company director and Mr Cronin is a media consultant.

Board’s Up at Defence Housing
William Lloyd Lange and William Donald Bowness have been appointed to the Board of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).
Mr Lange was a member of the NSW Legislative Council for 20 years and Mr Bowness is the founder of Wilbow Corporation, a Melbourne-based property developer.
Mr Lange and Mr Bowness replace John O’Grady and Thomas O’Brien whose terms expired last year.

27 June 2006
PS Briefs
Antarctic Medal for Larsen
Per Brun Larsen has been awarded the Australian Antarctic Medal in the Queen’s Midwinters Day Honours List
   Mr Larsen was honoured for outstanding service in scientific research or exploration in connection with an Australian Antarctic expedition or for support of such work.
            The Governor-General announced the award on June 21.

Super fund selected
First State Super has been selected as the default fund for new employees of the ACT Government commencing on or after 1 July.
   Chosen from a field of 12 proposals, the First State Super proposal was assessed as presenting the best value for future Territory employees in providing a low cost default option for new employees who did not choose to nominate their own superannuation arrangements.
    First State Super was established in 12 as the NSW Government’s default arrangement for its employees. It currently has in excess of 450,000 members and funds under management exceeding $11 billion.

Big book club for little readers
A $330,000 funding boost from the Australia Council for the Arts will encourage reading for toddlers by growing South Australia’s Little Big Book Club nationwide.
   The Club is a successful new program that encourages reading and literacy amongst pre-school-aged children in SA. It already has provided resources, reading packs and a website for more than 4000 new parents.
   The Australia Council has allocated the funds three years to support the national expansion of key aspects of the program.

New Defence homes for Ipswich
The Defence Housing Authority will spend $50.7 million on more than 160 new homes for Defence personnel and their families in Ipswich, Queensland.
   The development will provide Australian Defence Force members and their families with new high-quality homes close to RAAF Base Amberley and the Ipswich city centre.
   The homes will be built in stages, with civil work expected to begin in August 2006 – the expected completion date for the homes is December 2008.

Funding for regional festivals
Local communities are to share more than $750,000 to help tell their stories at regional festivals and significant community celebrations.
   Forty-five projects will be funded under the Festivals Australia program and its sister program, Festivals Australia Regional Residencies initiatives.
   Applications for the next round of funding under the Festivals Australia Regional Residencies and Festivals Australia programs close on 17 July 2006.

More going to independent schools
Independent schools accounted for more  than 12.8 per centof the total student population in Australia in 2005,  up from 9.7 per cent in 16.

Apprenticeships by any other name
The New Apprenticeships scheme will now be known as Australian Apprenticeships
   Minister for Vocational and Technical Education, Gary Hardgrave, said the name change, the colour scheme change and the adoption of the slogan – Your Life. Your Career. Your Future – marked the beginning of a new era.
   Mr Hardgrave said the changes were a precursor to a major advertising campaign to promote Australian Apprenticeships in the traditional trades as a prestigious, rewarding career path.
   For more information on Australian Apprenticeships call 1800 639 629.

Telstra settles on advertising budget
Testra is to spend $80 million promoting Bigpond and Sensis in the mass media and the internet and has appointed three advertising agencies to advise it.
   The three agencies replace Optimedia which had been the responsible agency for the past seven years.
   The new arrangements follow interviews with 90,000 customers and an internal management review.

27 June 2006
Talking Point
A More Evolved Sense of
Program Management
In the early 80s, when I was working in the then Department of Social Security, ‘program management’ was used in a limited sense of ‘to run’ a program.  With the advent of the ‘new public management’ it evolved to reflect new styles of operating in the public sector.  The use of the term very likely records the shifts and nuanced adjustments that have occurred in public administration in the last two to three decades.
    Today, the sense in which I am using ‘program’ describes the overall intervention by the Government which is intended to bring about change that is consistent with a policy position. Welfare to Work, the Regional Partnerships Program, or Australia’s skilled migration program are classic examples.
    In this contemporary sense, program management is the discipline of delivering, directly or indirectly, the outcomes and outputs that contribute to achieving a policy objective of the Government - for example, to support elderly people with low income in their retirements; or to assist business and community development in regional areas; or to provide more effective government services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
    The type of integrated and coherent program management framework that I see evolving in the Australian Public Service operates on two levels: the systemic or public service-wide level, and at the agency level.
    At the agency level, officials manage particular programs and work with others to facilitate the delivery of Government policy objectives.
    At the systemic level we are seeing a whole of government approach to the monitoring of implementation of Government policy decisions. This is happening through the Cabinet Implementation Unit’s ‘traffic light’ report, and the ‘gateway’ review system being developed by the Department of Finance; a focus across the APS on learning from experience; capability building through development programs, and, importantly, by ensuring greater exposure of people to service delivery and implementation issues.
    The discipline imposed by program management not only helps to articulate the relationship between aspects of the program’s outputs, but seeks also to ensure that they are integrated so that ‘the whole is worth more than the sum of its parts’.
    A commitment to program management recognises that responsibility for developing and implementing the Government’s major programs often crosses organisational and jurisdictional boundaries, and requires joint agreement about what is to be achieved and how that will happen.
    As it has evolved, program management has taken on a ‘change’ focus.  The term itself implies, in my view, a responsiveness to the environment (political, social, cultural, strategic) that drives change; but also changes to structures and processes, to a more strategic focus on expected outcomes and, if necessary, to culture - with a clear view to achieving the Government’s policy objective.
    For program management to be effective in this new environment, organisations must change to move with it and to deliver on the Government’s objectives.

Active Program Management
    What I think this conference reflects is a determination to follow through on a cultural shift that has been taking place in the public sector - where we are finally shaken loose from our silos, where we move past the rhetoric of whole of government working, to what I think of as an active or dynamic form of program management.
    What do I mean by active program management? I mean that it isn’t sufficient to simply have the elements of good corporate governance in place - to have ticked the boxes - corporate plan - tick; strategic plan - tick; service charter - tick.  Rather, what is required is a framework that actively supports program managers (and project managers below that) to manage their piece of the puzzle and to understand and manage the intersections with other areas of their business.  Some of the important elements of such a framework include:
    * sophisticated scoping, planning and timing (including business case, setting of milestones etc),
    * putting in place appropriate milestones, success criteria, and measures for quality assurance,
    * proper and early assessment of risks and strategies for their handling,
    * stakeholder management and communications strategy,
    * ensuring all the resources are in place (human as well as financial),
    * ongoing monitoring to ensure that the program continues to meet its objectives,
    * we should also build into the management of our programs:
    * consideration of whether the program is having its intended effect and, if not, take corrective action (for example, suggest policy changes or changes to guidelines)
    * processes for advising the Minister of progress, developments and outcomes
    * measures to achieve efficiencies or improvements in administration of our programs
    *audit and evaluation processes, including sound management information systems, to assess how program and project outcomes are shaping up in relation to the objectives of the program,
    * given the trend to increasingly work through others for the delivery of Government services, we also need to employ partnership approaches, effective contract design and management and procurement processes, and
    * we need to come to grips with the new governance and accountability issues these approaches bring - to find effective ways of marrying vertical and horizontal lines of accountability, and to understand that ultimately (whether we like it or not) accountability for program performance and outcomes still remains with us.
   Active program management promotes efficient and effective use of Commonwealth resources, particularly by ensuring that expensive rectification measures - for programs gone wrong - are not required.
    We’ve been on a fairly steep learning curve in the APS as the financial management and related skills (including contract management and procurement) expected of us have expanded.  I think there’s been a tendency for over-confidence, followed by some predictable fall-out. Financial management is a core competency and has to be managed year in and year out to ensure not only that existing projects are supported, but that new projects - responding to new challenges and new policy directions - can be implemented well.
    Program failures, through botched program management, result in damage to the reputation of the APS, and undermine the level of trust in government amongst those that are the focus of the program and among the community more generally.
    The snowball effect of unhappy customers equally applies to the public sector as in the private sector - word spreads quickly; therefore active and effective program management is essential.
    Programs, in whatever form, are never static.  They need to be actively managed with a critical eye for their nuancing and further development or even their replacement by something better - bringing us back to organisational change and project management.

Program Management Capabilities
    Peter Shergold describes implementation as the ‘heavy lifting’ - as opposed to policy advising which he says is often seen as the ‘zenith of apolitical courage’.  Implementation, he argues, is the point at which ‘courage’ is most needed, undertaken as it is in the public gaze and subject to intense scrutiny.  It is the point at which the policy is judged to have succeeded or failed.
    It would, therefore, be remiss of me not to refer explicitly to the capabilities that we need in the public sector to achieve the integrated program management and high standard of outcomes we aspire to, and which the Government and the community demands.
    Program management requires a diverse set of capabilities, including, but not limited to:
    * financial management
    * risk management
    * contract management
    * change management
    * relationship management
    * strategic management
    * project management
    * influencing skills
    Even a cursory glance at the Senior Executive Leadership Capability (SELC) Framework—the criteria against which senior executives in the Australian Public Service are selected and developed - gives a sense of the wide ranging skill sets required to perform the business of government.
    Dynamic and integrated program management doesn’t require a new super-breed of public servant - but we are clearly looking to recruit people with a different and more diverse mix of skills than we have in the past.  It is not surprising, then, that the APS has become a ‘graduate’ workforce. Overall, about half of us have graduate qualifications, and 64% of new recruits (who mostly don’t enter through graduate programs) are graduates.
    Changing capability requirements are also reflected in the learning and development programs that the Australian Public Service Commission offers. I am committed to the development of programs by the Commission that are responsive to what agencies need, and to supporting agencies align their business objectives with their organisational cultures.
    A common thread is the importance of a strong, strategically orientated APS leadership team. The Commission plays a central role in the development of APS leaders and over the next few months I will be unveiling a new suite of leadership programmes for the SES. We have already begun reinvigorating our EL programs to focus more on regulatory activity, service delivery, policy development and program management. I am hoping to launch our new program management training programs by the middle of the year.
    Attracting people with the right mix of capabilities is critical to the success of program management in the APS - we need the right people in the right jobs at the right time. A feature64 of the project management approach you will hear about today and tomorrow is the explicit focus on looking at what you’re trying to achieve and actively matching the skills that are required to bring it about.  I am very firmly of the view that we need to be much better at this in the public service. 
    The latest Management Advisory Committee report on managing and sustaining the APS workforce highlights some of the significant challenges we are going to confront in the coming decades, as we respond to population ageing and workforce constraint and as we compete to maintain our specialist and technical skills.
    Added to this, though, is the need for public servants to reflect personally on what they can do to align their behaviours and attitudes with the changes evident in modern government program directions, and what they might do to work towards moving the cultures of entire public sector organisations towards greater alignment. It’s this sort of thoughtfulness and action that is necessary, amongst other things, if we are to reach the gaol of an outstanding public service.

Program Management Takeaways
    To sum up, the messages that I would like to leave you with about the evolving concept of program management are that:
    * Program management seeks to provide coherence in the context of (ever increasing) complexity.
    * Program management is a dynamic and integrated process that drives change in order to achieve the Government’s policy objectives.
    * Program management provides clarity about the roles of people and agencies, so that responsibilities and accountabilities are also clear.
    Program management often requires responsibility and accountability across boundaries.
    * Program management helps to identify and resolve tensions between different aspects of a program - including through the alignment of business objectives with organisational culture.
    * Program management requires a diverse set of capabilities and active engagement to use them and to change cultures and practices.
    * Ultimately, good program management will impact positively on trust in government, citizen engagement and good outcomes for the Australian community.

Conclusion
    We are all heading in much the same direction - looking to achieve better alignment of our organisational cultures and business objectives so as to achieve better outcomes for the communities we serve.  The language we use to describe what we’re doing will, undoubtedly, vary between agencies to some extent, and more so across jurisdictions and sectors.  The fundamental message remains, however, that we must do implementation better and that we can do it better.

20 June 2006
Auditor Finds Holes in PS Net Security
An Auditor-General’s report into the security of Departmental internet services has found serious shortcomings for the second time in five years.
   An audit of six sample agencies last year revealed inadequacies in the level of security, enough to prompt the Auditor-General to make five recommendations for improvement.
    The latest findings came on top of similar revelations from an audit of 10 agencies undertaken in 2001.
     The Auditor accepted that just six agencies represented a small sample, but when combined with the 10 from 2001 and an obvious similarity in the findings, a case could be made for an across-the-board review of all Government agencies and their compliance with standards set out in the Australian Government Protective Security Manual (PSM) and the Australian Government Information and Communications Technology Security Manual (ACSI 33).
   The Auditor said that a number of agencies could improve their performance in key areas such as email filtering, while all agencies audited could improve performance in internet security, such as developing system security plans.
   He found that while several agencies had initiated business continuity and disaster recovery plans for their internet services, only one had sound plans in place. The other agencies had deficiencies that included dependency on key staff, few documented procedures, documents in draft form and plans not regularly reviewed.
   Specific problems identified by the Auditor included inappropriate password management, user account privileges inappropriately administered, no documented procedures for incident detection and response, management of hardware and the use of remote access and hardware not adequately secured.
   He also found weaknesses in the management of new technology.
   He said for example that policy development and supporting procedures for the introduction of new technology, such as USB keys, was generally poor.
   Where it existed, compliance within agencies was also often poor. Personnel in one agency were found to be using USB keys to move data from one system to another without documented controls and one agency had developed procedures for procuring USB keys. He found such procedures were not based on a risk assessment and, accordingly, were incomplete.
   Four agencies had outsourced their ICT services and the contracts for two of them were poorly drafted and managed.
   In desktop computer standard operating environments, issues included inappropriate access controls, such as users with more access rights than required for their work, personnel able to download information of their choice from the internet, inadequate auditing of system event logs, including logs that did not record and hold sufficient information for auditing of security events and inappropriate levels of system patching.
   Among his recommendations was the suggestion that agencies include their internet services in their business continuity and disaster recovery plans and develop business cases for introducing new technology.
    Agencies should also develop and implement policies that permit them to block potentially malicious emails.
   Each of the six agencies audited agreed with the recommendations.

20 June 2006
Buyers Guide Plugs in to E-Government
A new guide that provides practical assistance to Government agencies procuring goods and services electronically has been issued by the Australian Government Information Management Office.
   Special Minister of State, Gary Nairn, said the strategic guide was all about improving efficiency and would encourages agencies to look at what they were doing and how and to consider alternative systems that would result in better use of taxpayers' money.
   Mr Nairn said the guide presented an overview of e-procurement within the Australian Government and would cover invoicing and purchasing stationery, computer equipment, professional services and more.
   "The electronic alternative may not be the most appropriate for all agencies but in a lot of cases, an automated process will save time and paperwork, minimise double-handling and lower costs," Mr Nairn said.         
   Each agency in the Australian Government is responsible for its own e-procurement but the guide helped agencies identify specific procurements and related business processes where electronic tools would be beneficial.
   Chief Financial Officers and Chief Information Officers of all Australian Government agencies had the chance to comment on the content of the guide.
   "This guide demonstrates the Australian Government’s continued commitment to be at the forefront of e-Government, and will assist even the smallest of suppliers who wish to trade electronically with agencies," Mr Nairn said

20 June 2006
Numbers Up in the PS
The number of Public Servants across Australia has continued to grow in the past year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reporting increased workforces at the Commonwealth, State and Territory levels but a slight drop in Local Government.
   According to the ABS, the number of employees in the public sector increased by 31,900 in the year to February, taking the total number to 1,622,500.
   During that period the number of public sector employees on the Commonwealth payroll grew 2.7 per cent to 255,500; on the States and Territories payrolls by 2.2 per cent to 1.2 million employees but dropped at the Local Government level by 0.6 per cent to 164,300.
   Since 2002, the total number of Public Servants had grown by more than 130,000.
   The Bureau’s figures showed that the majority of Commonwealth Public Servants were located in the ACT (63,100), followed by NSW (61,500) and Victoria (57,800).  These three locations accounted for seven in every 10 Commonwealth Public Servants, the Northern Territory reporting the lowest number at just 3,400.
   The Bureau reported NSW as the biggest State Government with 378,200 employees, followed by Victoria with 264,900 and Queensland with 247,600. The ACT Government employed 18,300 staff.
   The busiest areas of the public sector were Government Administration and Defence accounting for 442,500 jobs, Education employing 442,100 and Health, 346,400.

20 June 2006
Scientists Defensive Over Nuclear Reaction
The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation has defended itself against criticism following a series of minor incidents at the Lucas Heights nuclear facility in Sydney.
   The Organisation is disappointed at the reaction from the Federal Opposition which drew parallels between the minor accidents and the safety of the nuclear industry as a whole.
   Shadow Minister for Science and Research, Jenny Macklin, said the public had a right to know what was going on at Lucas Heights.
    “They have a right to know the nature of the accident that took place,’’ Ms Macklin said in an interview.
    “They have a right to know the nature of the radioactive gases that went up through the stack. It is not good enough for that to come out via an email that was put out to staff.”
    Ms Macklin said the matter was particularly serious in view of the Prime Minister’s call for a national debate about nuclear power.
    According to ANSTO, which operates the Luca Heights facility, the incidents occurred controlled, monitored areas and workers affected were immediately assessed and any necessary treatment administered.
   The Organisation said the incidents were so minimal that they were not required to notify its regulator, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, but it did so anyway. Suggestions that relevant information had not been made public in a timely manner were wrong.
   According to ANSTO small amounts of radioactive gases were routinely released into the air and were reported to the public via ANSTO’s annual Environmental Reports. Those reports show that the doses received by the public as a result of those releases were so low as not to be directly measurable.
   The reports showed that the total maximum annual estimated dose to a member of the public from the releases was only a very small fraction of the radiation dose received by everyone each year from naturally occurring sources, and much less than the extra dose someone living in Canberra receives as compared to someone living in Sydney

20 June 2006
MPs find mp3 the Answer to Question Time
Parliamentary Question Time has gone hi-tech with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launching mp3 podcasts of the sometimes-fiery sessions to mark the 60th anniversary of live broadcasting from Parliament House.
   ABC Chair, Donald McDonald announced the new service, saying it was an example of the ABC using new technology to expand on a traditional service - the broadcasting of Parliament.
   “Question Time is available live on ABC NewsRadio, via internet streaming and now, via podcasting,” Mr McDonald said. “This is part of the ABC's continuing role over the years to engage and involve Australians with the work of the Parliament.
   “With podcasting, people can now listen to Question Time wherever and whenever they like.”
   Mr McDonald said ever since the first radio broadcast of Parliament on 10 July 1946, the Joint Committee on the Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings had embraced new technology, including online streaming in 19 and now the portable mp3 format.
   In 1946 the first live Parliamentary broadcast went out on ABC Radio to all capital cities and Newcastle, with Prime Minister and Treasurer, Ben Chifley, fielding questions about inflation.
   In 1988, after substantial pressure from listeners, Parliamentary broadcasts were moved to ABC Radio National, and later that year found a permanent home on the ABC's 'standby' network, which subsequently became ABC NewsRadio in 14.
   Today ABC NewsRadio broadcasts live proceedings from both Houses and podcasts both question times.
   Mr McDonald said from 14 July when Parliament was next sitting, podcasts of Question Time would be posted at 5pm daily.

20 June 2006
Silverware added to Defence Housing 
The Defence Housing Authority (DHA) has won a silver award for its Annual Report.
   The Authority took out the honouyr at the 2006 Australasian Reporting Awards for excellence in reporting standards.
   Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Sandy Macdonald, said DHA was consistently recognised for its excellence in reporting.
   "The award is recognition of its high standards, not only in providing housing and relocation services to members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), but in the way it reports on its activities,” Senator Macdonald said.
   Acting Managing Director of DHA, Michael Del Gigante said that as a commercially-focused enterprise, DHA took its reporting obligations and corporate governance very seriously.
   “It is rewarding to receive professional recognition for our public accountability and reporting standards,” Mr Del Gigante said.
   He said DHA also won gold in the 2006 Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) Awards in May 2006. DHA was the only gold winner in the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act category.
    Mr Del Gigante said DHA managed around 17,000 residential properties across Australia which represented about $6 billion in housing stock.
    The ARA awards were aimed at improving the standards of reporting in Australia and New Zealand, based on world best practice guidelines in annual reporting.
   A copy of DHA’s award-winning Annual Report can be found at www.dha.gov.au

20 June 2006
Fingers do the Walking for eCensus
Australians will be able to fill in and lodge their Census forms online for the first time this year when the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) runs the 2006 Census on Tuesday, 8 August.
   In addition to the usual paper census form that will be delivered to every household in a sealed envelope containing a PIN number, householders will also receive a guide on how to fill in the eCensus form online. The ABS expects about 10 per cent of the population, or around 800,000 households, to complete their Census form online.
   Testing by the Bureau has shown about 30 per cent of eCensus households (267,000) were likely to complete their form after 6pm on Census night with a further 20 per cent (160,000) likely to complete their form the next day.
   Assistant Director, eCensus and Field Communications with the ABS, Peter Clark, is coordinating electronic census lodgement. He said the ABS had written to Internet Service Providers letting them know the eCensus was coming and to ensure there were no unnecessary barriers in place.
.   “When we started this project, we really weren't sure how many people might take up the internet option,” Mr Clark said. “The take-up was potentially big, so we made sure the system would be able to handle a high load.”
.   He said the introduction of the eCensus option was a result of public expectation to be able to fill their Census form online. The final spur came with the passage of the Electronic Transactions Act of 19, requiring all Australian Government departments to provide the means for the public to interact with the Government electronically.
   Mr Clark said the ABS had a very small scale version ready for the 2001 Census but since then the  eCensus had been further developed and rigorously tested.
    Leading up to each Census, the ABS conducts tests to fine tune procedures. This test program culminates in a dress rehearsal in selected areas around Australia one year before the Census. In the Census dress rehearsal of August 2005, householders were given the eCensus option, resulting in an eight per cent take up. The take up in urban and rural areas was similar.
    Mr Clark said New Zealand also used an internet option for its Census in March, with about 7.5 per cent take up.

20 June 2006
ASIO Does the Business with Company Directors
The Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) is recruiting businesses in its ongoing fight against terror.
   The Director-General of Security, Paul O'Sullivan told the Australian Institute of Company Directors that the threat of terrorism was against the entire Australian community including its business interests both in Australia and abroad.
   "So it is appropriate that as an organisation we engage with key elements in the business and wider community," Mr O’Sullivan said.
   He said that it was only through such engagement that ASIO could build a better collective understanding of the national threat and Australia’s vulnerabilities and also identify opportunities to work together with business for mutual protection.
   Mr O’Sullivan said meeting with business leaders to extend and enhance ASIO's relationship with the private sector was one of his priorities.
    "Given the substantial costs incurred by business in seeking to protect themselves, their customers and their employees, I believe it is important that we work together to ensure we are doing the right things in the right way.
    "From ASIO's perspective, we are working to develop partnerships with businessthat help decision-makers to understand and respond to security threats in a measured, efficient and effective way."
   He said Australians remained at threat both within Australia and around the world and since 2000 there had been at least one aborted, disrupted or actual terrorist attack against Australia and its interests each year.
   ASIO's National Threat Assessment Centre continues to assess that a terrorist attack in Australia is feasible and could well occur, Mr O’Sullivan said.
      He said the range of potential terrorist targets is limited only by the imagination and creativity of the perpetrators of such attacks.
   "In addition to creating physical and psychological harm to the community, they can disrupt or damage economically vital or symbolic components of society."
     Australia also faced threats from espionage and foreign interference from nation states seeking to promote their own interests to the detriment of others. This threat was not directed just at Government bodies but could also be focused on business activities, particularly those at the leading edge of their field, he said.

20 June 2006
RAAF Unveils Flight Plan for Bungendore
The Royal Australian Air Force is bracing itself for big changes when it moves into the new Joint Operational Command near Bungendore, NSW in 2008-09.
   Under plans revealed in RAAF News the new Command will be responsible for planning, control and conduct of all joint operations and exercises undertaken by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and resulted from the 2005 Wilson review into higher ADF command and control arrangements.
    In readiness for the move, an interim headquarters will be established next January, with elements located at a number of facilities including the current Potts Point facility in Sydney and various locations around Canberra.
    Under the new arrangements, the Joint Force Air Component (JFAC) will relocate from Headquarters Air Command (HQAC) to Joint Operational Command.
    The JFAC organisation, including the Air Operations Centre, will become the Director General Air, located in Canberra.
   RAAF News said that in order to establish the new organisation, a number of offsets had been provided from HQAC. This, and the change of Air Command to a solely “Raise, Train and Sustain” organisation, required a restructure for HQAC also.
   Despite the changes, a significant Air Force presence will be kept at RAAF Glenbrook as residual elements of HQAC were expected to remain there for at least the next four years.
     The Air Force has advised personnel contemplating a posting to HQAC or HQJOC to be aware of the scope of change being undertaken and the potential for positions to be transferred between the commands and the change geographical locations.

20 June 2006
Airways Partnership Takes Off
Airservices Australia has signed up with a German company to exploit air navigation business opportunities in the Middle East and Asia.
   The arrangement with German air navigation services provider DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung was announced by Airservices Australia Chief Executive Officer, Greg Russell.
   Mr Russell said the two organisations would join forces to pursue aviation business  and develop services and proposals for in the Persian Gulf, India and China.
   “Both Airservices and DFS have independently identified these regions as major growth areas of the future in airports, air traffic control management and associated airside business,” Mr Russell said.
   Chief Executive of DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH, Dieter Kaden said his company was looking forward to the commercial partnership and a raised level of cooperation between two of the world’s leading air navigation services providers.
   Mr Kaden said expansion of air traffic and infrastructure development in the three target locations were among the highest in the world with forecasts for India showing international and domestic passenger traffic growth of about 12 per cent annually until 2009, with freight to increase by 10 per cent annually for the next five years.
   China’s airports had delivered capacity growth of 13 per cent for the past six years and it was estimated 29 major Chinese airports would reach saturation point by 2010.
   Mr Kaden said the organisations have complementary capabilities and joining resources would allow them to quote for larger projects.
   He said it would be mutually beneficial to co-operate in identifying prospective customers, preparing business proposals and providing joint services.
   Mr Russell said the two partners were already sharing market intelligence and analysis and would develop specific marketing programs over the next six months.
   “The initial plan is to organise sales missions into the Gulf region in the next few months in addition to developing strategies to market air traffic control, tower and airside products and services into China and India," he said.
   Airservices Australia manages air traffic across 11 per cent of the world's air space.    The services it provides include air traffic control, airspace management, aeronautical information, radar communications, radio navigation aids, aviation maintenance and engineering, environmental management and aviation rescue and firefighting.

20 June 2006
Plan for Islanders to Become Vote People
A Parliamentary Committee has recommended that a referendum be held among residents of Australia’s Indian Ocean Territories to decide if they should become citizens of Western Australia.
   Parliament's External Territories Committee made the recommendation in a report tabled recently.
   The report’s key finding was that the referendum on options for future governance arrangements should be held in the Indian Ocean Territories before the end of June 2009, those options including maintaining current arrangements with some refinement, incorporating the Indian Ocean Territories into Western Australia, or some form of limited self government.
   Committee Chair, WA Liberal Senator Ross Lightfoot said it was important to give the people of both Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands a say in their own future by giving them a chance to vote on options for future governance.
   However, he said it was important that aspirations for future governance be based on a realistic assessment of what can be achieved.
   “There are limits to the level of autonomy which small isolated communities can attain,” Senator Lightfoot said.
   The Parliamentary Committee’s report also addressed concerns within the Indian Ocean Territories communities about their relationship with the Department of Transport and Regional Services which administers the Territories.
   Other recommendations of the Committee included expanding the role of the local Shire Councils and reissuing the licence for the Christmas Island Casino. Reopening the Casino was particularly important to the economic future of Christmas Island, the Committee said.
   The Committee’s report is at www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ncet/iotgovernance/report.htm

20 June 2006
More Effort Put Into Energy
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has set up the Energy Reform Implementation Group (ERIG) to look at further reform of Australia’s energy sector to achieve efficiency and energy security benefits.
   The group is to report to COAG before the end of 2006, providing detailed arrangements for achieving a fully national transmission grid.
   The plan must include governance and transitional arrangements for a national approach to future development of the grid, legitimate commercial interests of asset owners and the need to promote investment supporting efficient provision of transmission services.
   It must also cover measures required to address structural issues affecting the ongoing competitiveness and efficiency of the electricity sector and those needed to ensure transparent and effective financial markets to support energy markets.
   Former Chair of the Industry Commission and head of the Victorian Premier’s Department, Bill Scales will chair the group, joined by David Swift from South Australia,  Geoff Carmody from Access Economics and Alan Rattray, former Chair of the Southern Hydro Board.
   Senior officers of the Australian Energy Market Commission and National Electricity Market Management Company will be ex-officio observers to provide expertise on the physical and regulatory market structures and on energy market reforms.
   The group will be supported by a small Commonwealth-State secretariat and will consult widely with stakeholders.
   More information is available from www.erig.gov.au.

20 June 2006
Down Under on the Way Up
Young travellers in the United Kingdom have voted Australia as the destination they most want to visit next according to the Managing Director of Tourism Australia, Scott Morrison.
   Mr Morrison said  the latest Lonely Planet poll revealed young travellers in the UK  most wanted to visit Australia as their next destination.
   Australia moved up from third place last year, beating the United States, Thailand, Spain, New Zealand, India and Italy.
   "A key objective of the ‘So where the bloody hell are you?’ campaign is to generate excitement around Australia as a destination and to refresh Australia in the mind of consumers such as backpackers and other young travellers," Mr Morrison said.
          “Recent improvements by the Australian Government to the working holiday visa arrangements are also having a major impact." Young international travellers can now work with one employer for up to six months and extend their study time from three to four months.
            Mr Morrison said young travellers were a key market with their high dispersal and length of stay delivering immediate economic benefits to regional, rural and remote communities around Australia.
     “We will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure that these young people continue to make Australia their number one destination in the world," he said.

20 June 2006
Art Attack the Way to Wellbeing
The Australia Council for the Arts is to focus on community wellbeing in a new program of cultural and artistic pursuits spanning five Local Government areas in three States.
   The Council will provide $780,000 over three years for its “Generations Program” that will support initiatives in Dalrymple in Queensland, Liverpool in New South Wales and Geelong, Latrobe Valley and Wangaratta in Victoria.
   The program is an initiative of the Victorian Cultural Development Network in partnership with the local councils in three states. It aims to create sustainable community and civic engagement through the arts and cultural activities.
   Chief Executive of the Australia Council, Jennifer Bott said Generations would foster community engagement through the arts and build effective partnerships with the community sector and other spheres of Government, especially at the local level.
   “The insight we gain from this important investment in community building will help shape future public policy in the arts, Local Government and community engagement;” Ms Bott said. “It will have a profound impact on the future of the arts in Australia."
   The five projects are:
         * Dalrymple Shire: Connecting Through Three Generations of Time will use arts and cultural activities to bring together landholders and non-landholders from the local Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to address local social and economic issues.
         * City of Greater Geelong: Geelong Trilogy: Identities will celebrate the municipality's diverse communities - rural, suburban, industrial and sophisticated city centre.  Residents will be encouraged to explore the city’s past and future through storytelling, exhibitions, public art, music and other activities.
         * Latrobe City: Green Expectations will use arts and cultural activities to engage the community  with the city’s Latrobe 2021 plan. The strategy will include a greenhouse, revegetation and community engagement action plan.
         * City of Liverpool: Refill is a mentoring project targeting at risk and disadvantaged youth in the suburb of Miller. It will guide participants toward careers in the music industry and create other work/life opportunities.
         * Rural City of Wangaratta: Still life will engage people in Wangaratta in developing a series of performance artworks. It will challenge current perceptions of residents and non-residents that the city’s ageing population negatively affects the community’s profile and as a result, its social and economic growth.
    The Victorian Cultural Development Network will coordinate the program, set to commence in August 2006.

20 June 2006
Paper is First Move in Card Game
The first discussion paper on the proposed Health and Social Services Access Card has been released by the Chairman of the card’s Consumer and Privacy Taskforce, Professor Allan Fels.
   Unveiling the paper, Professor Fels said it aimed at initiating and informing public debate about the issues relating to the card because such a scheme could only be introduced successfully if there was adequate public trust in what the Government was doing.
   The Access Card Consumer and Privacy Taskforce was established to provide independent advice to the Minister for Human Services about how consumers would use the card and its privacy considerations. Professor Fels said the taskforce expected to release further discussion papers during the consultation period, claiming that public input into the taskforce’s work was “vital.”
    Submissions on the matters raised in the discussion paper would be accepted until 27 July, but further opportunities to comment would be available as consultation continued into 2007.
          Professor Fels said the taskforce had identified key questions to be addressed immediately, including how any new card could be prevented from evolving into a national identity card; the administrative or legislative basis for the new card; the impact on personal privacy of introducing an access card; and the consumer benefits or otherwise of having an access card.
   “I detect a degree of concern that this new card might somehow evolve into a national identity card by the backdoor – a sort of Australia Card Mark II,” Professor Fels said.
   “While the Government has given assurances that this is not intended, specific measures may be needed.”
   He said one such measure could be to ensure that the new card was introduced only if appropriate legislation is passed, ensuring transparency in process and allowing public debate about all aspects of the Government's proposals.
    "It would, I believe also enhance public trust and confidence in the proposed system," he said.
   The taskforce would also examine the extent to which existing legislation already contained safeguards and also whether it unduly prevented consumers from benefiting from the card.
   “Another requirement will be to achieve early confirmation of the proposed card's architecture so that it could not be developed beyond the intended scope," Professor Fels said
"This may need to be balanced against the need to have some additional capacity in the card for future uses which are consistent with its original purpose but no more.”
he said.
    Copies of the paper were available by ringing 1300 664 589 and submissions can be sent to the Access Card Consumer and Privacy Taskforce, PO Box 3959, Manuka, ACT 2603 or by email to a.fels@humanservices.gov.au

20 June 2006
New Book the Cure for Drug problems
A new book that draws on real experiences to help families battling with drug addiction has been launched by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing, Christopher Pyne.
    The book, In My Life, examines drug addiction, the situations of families dealing with it, and the challenges confronting those helping family members.
      Mr Pyne said the Government aims to ensure families affected by drug use, and those who seek to help family members through drug treatment, are provided with effective, relevant information and support.
   "We believe this book will provide that support," he said. "It uses personal stories to provide a valuable insight into families who choose to continue to support family members who have drug problems, and help them on the often tortuous journey of treatment."
   Mr Pyne said a research study in 2004 had found that a book of family experiences would prove valuable for families dealing with drug issues.
    The book was written from interviews conducted by Moya Sayer-Jones and produced by a consortium of three organisations, LMS Consulting, UnitingCare Burnside NSW, and Family Drug Support.

20 June 2006
Senior Appointments
NHMRC gets new members
Nineteen new members have been appointed to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for three years to 30 June 2009.
   The Council has a new Chief Executive in Professor Warwick Anderson who started in the position on 7 June, and Professor Michael Good of Queensland is Chair.
   Other appointees are Professor James Best  as Chairman of the Research Committee; Professor Colin Thomson, Chairman of the Australian Health Ethics Committee (AHEC); Professor Colin Masters ,Chairman of the National Health Committee (NHC); Professor Ronald Trent, Chairman of the Human Genetics Advisory Committee; and Professor Jock Findlay, Chairman of the Embryo Research Licensing Committee (Licensing Committee).
   Other members are Associate Professor Cindy Shannon; Associate Professor Christopher Newell; Professor Tim Davis and Dr Colin Sutton.
     Ex-officio council members include Professor John Horvath, the Commonwealth Government Chief Medical Officer; Dr Denise Robinson, Chief Health Officer, NSW; Dr Robert Hall: Chief Health Officer, Victoria; Dr Jeannette Young: Chief Health Officer, Queensland; Professor Christopher Baggoley: Chief Medical Officer, South Australia; Dr Simon Towler: Acting Chief Medical Officer, WA; Dr David Boadle: Chief Health Officer, Tasmania; Dr Paul Dugdale: Chief Health Officer, ACT; Dr Tarun Weeramanthri, Chief Health Officer, NT.

Card taskforce named
Former Liberal Senator and Privacy Commissioner Chris Puplick and ex-deputy Ombudsman John Wood have joined the taskforce to implement community consultation on the Government’s proposed Access Card .
   Their appointments were announced by the chairman of the Access Card Consumer and Privacy Taskforce, Professor Alan Fels.
   Professor Fels said the taskforce would soon be releasing a discussion paper to consumer and privacy groups with an invitation to comment.

Dancing star back on the Board
Suzan Williams has been reappointed to the Australia Council’s Dance Board for a further two years.
         Minister for the Arts, Senator Rod Kemp said Ms Williams was a talented dancer, teacher and choreographer who had worked with dance companies like Darc Swan and the Queensland Ballet.
    Senator Kemp said the Dance Board was responsible for supporting the development of Australian dance as a vibrant art form which was relevant and accessible to all communities.

Engineer back at National Museum
Benjamin Chow has been reappointed to the Council of the National Museum of Australia after serving one three year term.
Arts Minister Senator Rod Kemp announced the reappointment saying Mr Chow was a civil engineer and past president of the Australian Chinese Community Association of New South Wales and is Chair of the Council for Multicultural Australia.

More join nuclear taskforce
The Prime Minister has announced three new members of his taskforce looking into mining and processing of uranium and the longer term contribution of nuclear energy in Australia.
He said Sylvia Kidziak, Martin Thomas and Arthur Johnston would join the taskforce, already made up of Chariman, Ziggy Switkowski, and Professors George Dracoulis and Warwick McKibbin.
   Ms Kidziak is Chairman of the Radiation Health and Safety Council that advises the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency; Mr Thomas is Chairman of Dulhunty Power Limited and a Director of EnvroMission Limited; and Dr Johnston was the Supervising Scientist with Environment Australia, from 19 until 2005.
   The Prime Minister also announced that the taskforce secretariat would be headed up by Deputy Secretary of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, John Ryan.

20 June 2006
PS Briefs
New AAT registry
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal’s registry in Perth has been given new purpose-built offices including an additional hearing room as well as new audio and video conferencing facilities.
            The premises also include facilities for the disabled and families on the hearing room floor and provide accommodation for a WA member of the Migration Review Tribunal or the Refugee Review Tribunal.

Universities team up with Defence
Thirteen Australian universities have agreed to participate in the Australian Defence Force Higher Education Advanced Standing scheme.
   The ADFHEAS is a scheme in which defined, completed education and training provided by Defence might be accepted as credit towards specific university-awarded qualifications.
   The Universities involved are the ANU, Australian Catholic University, Charles Darwin University, Charles Sturt University, Macquarie University, Swinburne University of Technology, Adelaide University, the Universities of Canberra, Newcastle, South Australia, Southern Queensland, Sunshine Coast and Victoria.

Royal Commissions Act Amended
Amendments to the Royal Commissions Act 1902 have been made in response to a request by Terence Cole QC, the Commissioner enquiring into Certain Australian Companies in Relation to the UN Oil-for-Food Program.
   The amendments put beyond doubt a Commissioner’s power to test a witness’s claim of legal professional privilege in respect of a document.
            The amendments will have immediate effect to assist Commissioner Cole with his Enquiry.

Grant for Navy Museum
The Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum has received $187,000 from the Regional Partnerships program for much-needed extensions to allow it to exhibit more items from the Department of Defence.
   First established nearly 30 years ago, the Museum’s main exhibit is a Las Balsa raft from the 1973 trans-Pacific Expedition but the Department is unable to loan more items to the museum because it does not meet display environment and security requirements.
   The policy will be reconsidered when the extensions are complete.

New DOTARS website
The Department of Transport and Regional Services has redesigned its website.
            Apart from a new look, DOTARS has restructured information and menus along functional lines to assist general users find information more easily and intuitively.
   Everything that used to be on the old DOTARS website is still there, though some content may have been enhanced through the redevelopment process. The new site is at www.dotars.gov.au

Sub builder reaches milestone
The Australian Submarine Corporation (ASC Pty Ltd) is 21 years old.
   Established in 1985, ASC was chosen in 1987 as the prime contractor for the design, manufacture, upgrade and delivery of the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet of Collins Class submarines and in last year, was chosen to build the Navy’s Air Warfare Destroyers.
   But now the company, which is majority-owned by private investors, is to be sold.
   Thew Government has commissioned a scoping study to assist it in deciding when and how to sell the company.

Point Nepean wins heritage listing
Victoria’s Point Nepean has been added to the National Heritage List in recognition of the site’s heritage value to the nation.
   Point Nepean played an important role in Australia’s coastal defences and quarantine protection and will benefit from a $27 million injection of funds for conservation protection and rehabilitation.

Sport and War tour at War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is to conduct a 60-minute, curator-led tour of its exhibition Sport and War starting at 2pm on 25 June, the final day of the exhibition.
   Bookings are essential on (02) 6243 4363.

RMC Graduation
The Australian Army has 73 new officers following a graduation ceremony at the Royal Military College, Duntroon.
   The Queen’s Medal was awarded to cadet Brendan Gardiner and the Sword of Honour to cadet Matthew Sherry.

Choppers for the chop
The Royal Australian Navy is to replace its ageing Sea Kings helicopters with 34 Eurocopter Multi-Role Helicopter 90s in a contract worth $2 billion.

20 June 2006
The 41st Parliament: Middle-Aged,
Well-Educated and (mostly) Male

Academics have long argued over the extent to which our elected representatives should mirror their population. New research from Sarah Miskin and Martin Lumb of the Politics and Public Administration Section, Information and Research Services, Parliamentary Library, examine the biographical details of the 226 senators and members of the 41st Australian parliament.

   Australia is a representative democracy in which citizens elect senators and members to represent them in parliament. Academics have long argued over the extent to which such representatives can - or should – “mirror” their populations.   In Australia, as in other Western liberal democracies, politics traditionally has been the domain of white, middle-aged men. Although there are now more women in the national parliament, and a greater degree of ethnic diversity among its members, parliament still cannot be said to “mirror” the Australian population.
    This research examines the biographical details of the 226 senators and members of the 41st Parliament, as contained in the 30th edition of the Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia (2005). It outlines the age, qualifications, previous employment and length of parliamentary service of the current politicians.  It shows that, generally, they are middle-aged, well-educated men, many of whom have worked in politics-related occupations immediately before being elected. It concludes with an overview of the debate about the increase in the number of “professional politicians” in parliament.
   
Composition of the 41st Parliament
   As at the time of writing, the composition of the 41st Parliament was as follows:

Qualifications: an educated group
   More than three-quarters of the members of the current parliament have post-secondary school qualifications. In total, 177 of the 226 politicians (78 per cent) have such qualifications. (Fellowships, memberships, and associates of professional or other bodies are not counted.)
   There is little difference between the chambers or between the parties: 80 per cent of the senators and 77 per cent of the members of the House of Representatives have post-secondary qualifications; 78 per cent of Labor’s members and 77 per cent of the Coalition’s members have such qualifications. Within the Coalition, more Liberals (81 per cent) have post-secondary qualifications than do their counterparts from The Nationals (53 per cent).
   Between them, the 177 politicians hold 323 qualifications. The following breakdown explores the composition of the qualifications, looking at the total number of qualifications rather than the individuals who hold them or the highest qualification that each person holds. The most common qualification is a Bachelor degree, of which there are 196. In addition, there are six doctorates, 39 Masters degrees, 10 graduate diplomas, 36 “other” diplomas, and 36 “other” professional/certificate qualifications (see Figure 4).