Public servants report rise in corruption, prompting calls for federal watchdog.

The Guardian reports that the proportion of public servants witnessing corruption, largely in the form of cronyism and nepotism, has increased significantly in the past three years, a new survey shows. The survey they report, conducted by the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC), revealed that 5% of of public servants reported witnessing corrupt behaviour in 2016-2017. The Guardian reports that that represents a significant increase from the 2.6% who witnessed corruption in 2013-14 and the 3.6% of respondents in 2014-15. It is reported that cronyism was by far the most common form of corruption witnessed, accounting for almost two-thirds of all responses last financial year. The Guardian reports that that was followed by nepotism (26%), and “green-lighting” (21%), a term for decisions that improperly favour a person or company, or disadvantage another. The findings have renewed calls for a federal anti-corruption body writes the Guardian.

It looks like Australia's retail spending strike is over.

Business Insider reports that it’s only early days, but it looks like Australia’s retail spending strike may be over. According to Australia’s Bureau of Statistics (ABS) they report, retail sales jumped by 1.2% to $26.377 billion in November in seasonally adjusted terms, easily topping economist forecasts for an increase of 0.4%. Business Insider writes that it was the largest monthly percentage gain since January 2013 and saw the annual pace of sales accelerate to 2.9% from 1.8%, the fastest increase in five months. The ABS said the enormous increase was partially due to the release of the iPhone X and end-of-year promotions online reports Business Insider. The question that will be asked now is whether the strength of the November report was a one-off or the start of a longer-lasting trend, especially as it came on the back of a 0.5% increase in October they write. They report that while that won’t be known until December’s retail sales report is released early next month, recent strength in consumer confidence readings does provide room for optimism.

‘Creeping Stalinism’: new secrecy law could imprison whistleblowers and journalists.

The Guardian reports that Government whistleblowers and journalists who report on leaked information could face 20 years’ imprisonment if changes to Australia’s official secrecy laws pass parliament. It is reported that the overhauled offence provisions, introduced to the House of Representatives in December just hours after marriage equality became law, form part of the Coalition government’s broader crackdown on treason, espionage and foreign interference. If passed, the reform will increase tenfold the maximum penalties for anyone communicating information potentially harmful to the national interest, where that information is obtained via a government official without authorisation.

“This is ‘creeping Stalinism,’” commented Ethicos Group specialist Howard Whitton, who has advised governments and the United Nations ethics office on whistleblower policy. “The absolute protection of principled disclosure of wrongdoing – unfettered by government – must be preserved, or Australia will become a laughing stock internationally.”

South Australia planning to build the world’s largest thermal solar plant.

The SMH reports that following the success of the world’s largest battery, South Australia is aiming to build the world’s largest thermal solar plant. It is reported thar SolarReserve’s $650 million, 150 megawatt Aurora solar thermal plant has received state development approval. Construction of the facility will begin this year writes The Guardian. It is reported that South Australian acting energy minister Chris Picton called the project a welcome development for the state.

Union denounces outsourcing of home affairs department call centre.

The Guardian reports that the Australian government will pay multinational corporation Datacom to run the Department of Home Affairs’ call centre, the latest in a string of critical government services to be privatised. Under the deal they report, Datacom will handle 1.5m visa and immigration queries a year through an Adelaide call centre, which will replace a Sydney-based operation. The decision has provoked a furious response from the Community and Public Sector Union the Guardian writes. The union’s acting deputy secretary, Brooke Muscat-Bentley, said that it put sensitive personal information at risk, reduced transparency and would degrade the quality of service.

“This is a devastating decision for the 250 dedicated staff currently doing this work, along with their families,” Muscat-Bentley commented. “But also for the people who are so reliant on their assistance to navigate Australia’s complex immigration rules and processes.
“Outsourcing this kind of work to a private company like Datacom means paying more and receiving less in return.”

Peter Dutton steps up attack on Daniel Andrews over street gang crime in Victoria.

The Age reports that Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has stepped up his attacks on the Victorian government, stressing he does not want to see a "small element" of the African community tarnish the reputation of others. It is reported that Mr Dutton again pointed to a "problem with some of the judges and magistrates that Daniel Andrews has appointed" and criticised people for denying the existence of gang-related violence.

"It's a complete nonsense and the fact is that there are many victims in Victoria who have suffered at the hands of these gangs and we need to call it out because I'm not, like any Australian, wanting to see a very small element of a community – in this case the African community – define the rest of the community, which is law abiding, engaged in society, working, employed, studying, whatever it might be," Mr Dutton commented on Adelaide radio station FIVEaa.

Chemotherapy Slashed Under Turnbull’s Health Cuts,

The Victorian Premiers Office writes that Victorian cancer patients stand to miss out on more than 100,000 chemotherapy procedures because the Federal Liberal Government is refusing to pay more than $100 million in funding it owes to Victorians. Despite conceding late last year that Victoria was owed the money, Malcolm Turnbull has failed to reimburse hospitals for treating tens of thousands of extra patients, putting the future funding of our hospitals at risk they write. It is reported that Minister for Health Jill Hennessy said the $104 million owed was the equivalent of around half the funding to build the new Joan Kirner Women’s & Children’s Hospital at Sunshine. These cuts writes the Premiers Office, are creating uncertainty for hospitals trying to plan for future patient demand, and the Andrews Labor Government has had to step in and top up funding while waiting for reimbursement.

Climate change: Josh Frydenberg concedes that Australia's carbon emissions rose in 2017.

The SMH reports that Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg conceded that Australia's greenhouse gas emissions rose last financial year, after more than a decade of political warring over climate policy failed to curb dangerous emissions growth. Data released last month writes SMH, shows that Australia's annual emissions rose by 0.7 per cent in the year to June 2017, to 550 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. The result is only marginally lower than the 554 million tonnes of emissions Australia produced in 2000 they write. While emissions levels have fluctuated since the turn of the millennium reports the SMH, it is the fourth straight year Australia's greenhouse gas emissions have grown.