Do you hate an empty office? Find working from home a waste of time? Maybe it's time to become a spy.
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That's the line the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is taking in its latest tranche of social media ads, which appeal to scrollers with the line "come for conversations in person".
The Australian Public Service has embraced flexibility, with the Secretaries Board recently advising all roles in the APS could be flexible.
But intelligence agencies like ASIO are part of a cohort still tied to the office, due to the sensitive nature of their work and the need to access classified materials.
So instead, the agency is leaning into it and trying to recruit public service misfits who don't want to work from home.
"ASIO offers a number of flexible working arrangements so that staff can enjoy work-life balance, including not taking their work home with them," a spokesperson said.
"While ASIO officers may not be able to work from home, when they come into the office they make a difference, every day."
The spy agency started recruiting on social media in 2021, with the "Why I Spy" campaign. It stirred up a nice spot of media interest and featured the stories of spies within the agency, including that of ASIO director-general Mike Burgess.
The latest campaign is about making prospective employees aware that ASIO officers must work from the office, while highlighting the benefits of that.
Read: no boring office chit chat here. The campaign is still under way, but is thought to be having positive outcomes.
You'll never have to get your morning coffee alone at ASIO.
Putting a lid on it (for a short while)
It is close to that time of year when journalists and lobbyists from across the country converge on Parliament House to take part in the six-hour exam colloquially known as the budget lock-up.
During the exercise, large parts of the "People's House" are turned into a virtual prison as Treasury officials nervously watch (and occasionally come close to falling asleep) as the media scrum pores over the government's financial secrets before they are released to an expectant world.
While the exercise can seem a little archaic, particularly when so many of us have become familiar with remote work, for the government of the day undoubtedly its appeal lies in helping it shape the budget narrative.
This no doubt justifies the annual event, which is a major undertaking.
Treasury began planning in January and, using last October's effort as a guide, they expect around 740 media-types to attend and labour away under the watchful eye of about 160 officials.
Almost time to get those cheat-sheets ready.
We need to talk about Utopia
Don't come for us but it is time to find a new show.
Though there are some stark divisions between public servants and politicians, both love to reference the ABC's hit comedy Utopia, about a fictional government agency plagued by red tape.
(Admittedly, we also love to write about them loving to reference it.)
The series' alarming accuracy in depicting the functions of government has drawn much admiration.
"Australians have spoken loud and clear - particularly at the last federal election. They care about integrity. They don't want to see government departments run as if they were in an episode of Utopia," Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher said at a conference last week.
And, speaking on the impending closure of the Liddell Power Station in the Hunter Valley in February, Nationals leader David Littleproud also couldn't help himself: "I mean, this is a real-life episode of Utopia unfolding before your eyes," he said.
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Before him, it was Labor MP Julian Hill who saw the opportunity in a public hearing examining the National Capital Authority's procurement practices. "It sounds a little bit like before these changes it was an episode of Utopia," Mr Hill said.
The ACT government is even getting on board, our Legislative Assembly colleague Lucy Bladen has pointed out. Information obtained by the Canberra Liberals revealed Canberra Health Services, which runs the Canberra Hospital, has named its intranet Utopia. Unclear if they were referencing the show, but an interesting choice.
We look forward to some more creative references.
Is Canberra-bashing losing its bite?
The "bureaucracy of the Voice" has become the phrase du jour of those opposed to the advisory body.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has said the body, which will advise Parliament on matters which affect First Nations people, will need to be supported by "thousands of public servants".
It's not yet clear if this will be the case, as the government's focus remains squarely on the referendum, expected to be held in October this year.
"The detail of the Voice, such as its staffing and organisational arrangements, will be subject to consultation and then legislated in the ordinary way should a referendum be successful," a spokesperson from the National Indigenous Australians Agency said.
It comes as NDIS Minister Bill Shorten last week spoke out against an at times "derogatory approach" to the public service by the former Coalition government.
"It's a fantastic vocation," Mr Shorten said.
It's not just Optus and Medibank
Just about every day seems to bring news of the next great data breach or cyber hack.
As it turns out, that is just about on the money.
In a speech to an Australian National Audit Office conference in Canberra, First Assistant Director-General at the Australian Cyber Security Centre Stephanie Crowe said her office was responding to, on average, five cybersecurity "incidents" each week.
Ransomware remains the biggest problem, but Ms Crowe said the threat is evolving, and both state and criminal actors were targeting organisations, including government entities. They are not just after state secrets but also access to links and networks they can exploit.
Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher told the same conference the government was developing "guardrails" to help the public sector adopt artificial intelligence technology safely and effectively.
But, before you get worried ChatGPT is coming for your job, the minister said such technology was no substitute for "human insight and intelligence".
Over to you
- How is flexible working being implemented in your agency?
- ps@canberratimes.com.au
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