Rick Morton
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squigglyrick.bsky.social
Rick Morton
@squigglyrick.bsky.social
18K followers 380 following 1K posts
I write. Author of Mean Streak and other things. Day job: senior reporter The Saturday Paper. I write a decent newsletter: https://rick-morton.ghost.io
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squigglyrick.bsky.social
October 25, 2025 at 11:04 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
Subs that went to Expenditure Review Committee and cabinet about robodebt proposal – which were then and are still now completely protected from disclosure under freedom of information – never contained the original frank and fearless advice. It wasn’t fear of FOI that kept that advice from cabinet.
Screenshot of the linked article, the text of which reads: None of these instances were about providing advice to government. In any event, as the APSC noted in its code of conduct report: the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability (PGPA) Act already imposes a legal obligation on all public servants to keep appropriate records. That they don’t, at apparently strategic moments in time, invites a novel conclusion that, inconveniently for the government, would not allow it to keep more secrets, more tightly. Officials should be compelled to write down their advice and that advice should be reasonably available to the public. This is how accountability works. The robodebt disgrace is a near consequence-free zone, even where there are, at least in theory, legal directives that oblige officials to act with honour and integrity. Any real concern – as there must be – about record keeping in the public service would manifest in a complete overhaul of the PGPA Act. That is not what we are getting. It is a sick joke to leverage the horror of that debt recovery scheme to remove the precious few protections, already so abused, available to the public, and for this reason alone the proposed FOI amendments should be treated with the contempt they deserve.
October 25, 2025 at 8:53 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
De Brouwer made the exact same argument two years ago after the Robodebt Royal Commission report was delivered. This is how I treated it in Mean Streak: "Grow up."
Screenshot of the book Mean Streak by Rick Morton. The text reads: for the past decade and half, when conclusive certificates were discontinued, is counterproductive to the Parliament’s intent. ‘When it comes to deliberative material, FoI does not ensure transparency (because advice is not being written) and it undermines integrity (because advice is not being written).’ So officials don’t put things in writing because they might get released under Freedom of Information laws, therefore the FoI laws aren’t working? Grow up. De Brouwer is not alone in his views. Former secretaries have been doing the rounds making exactly these kinds of noises, as if the outcome of poor professional behaviour is the result of some law and not … poor professional behaviour.
October 6, 2025 at 8:54 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
the army connections continue
September 29, 2025 at 8:04 PM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
Hmmmmmmm! www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/educati...
Screenshot of part of the newspaper article in this thread. It reads: At the end of July, a final response to the clarifications sought by Knight and the other person were being prepared. UTS chief legal counsel Kylie Gould reviewed the statement. So did KPMG. Vice-chancellor Parfitt directed it be sent out by his acting chief of staff, Danielle Woolley, herself a partner at KPMG until she was hired by the university. “I can confirm that no master spreadsheet of research staff as referred to was produced or delivered in partnership with KPMG,” Woolley wrote, without indicating whether any versions of the spreadsheet existed. “I trust the above clarifies the matter.” Now it has been produced and confirmed delivered, although the university maintains it was never finished and was not used. By way of explanation, UTS inserted a “context” page just before the sudden appearance of the Excel spreadsheet and emails between McGrath and KPMG. “As part of this work at that time KPMG began developing a list of D to E researchers but the Deputy Vice Chancellor Research intervened, and upon reviewing and seeking to validate this data with our own research data insights team, the work was discontinued,” the university says in its explanation. Instead, it says, the university used “aggregate” data from its own internal systems “in order to consider whether any proposed OSI changes would impact on our research activities”. Coincidentally, UTS says, the resulting insights are the same as if they had relied on the KPMG analysis.
September 26, 2025 at 8:30 PM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
And! Sorry, sorry, but they announced within 24 hours of each other: shortlisted for the Australian Political Book of the Year 2025 with some mighty authors. I hated every moment of writing this book in a way I cannot possibly convey. So, yay.
September 9, 2025 at 7:23 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
More lovely news for Mean Streak. Shortlisted for the Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award which recognises the use of research in works of literature. It also comes with a Peoples' Choice category, by public vote, so get amongst it! haveyoursay.waverley.nsw.gov.au/nib-peoples-...
September 9, 2025 at 7:19 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
Like, this is just an extremely abbreviated recent history.
Screenshot of article excerpt that reads: What Butler could not do in his press club speech, or subsequently, is guarantee children will not be negatively affected by agency decisions in advance of any rollout. He told the audience that any child “enrolled in the NDIS now – or who become enrolled before that time [2027] – will remain on the scheme, subject to its usual arrangements, including reassessments”. These “reassessments” have been turbocharged after a significant investment in the agency’s access and eligibility team. The Saturday Paper has previously revealed the agency was sending out thousands of eligibility reassessment letters suggesting people may no longer have a right to support, and demanding further unspecified evidence within 28 days. This process resulted in people being wrongfully removed from the scheme. Some who were able to appeal managed to be reinstated. The Saturday Paper later revealed the agency relented under pressure to extend this timeframe to 90 days but, under the direction of then chief executive Rebecca Falkingham, used a deliberately bastardised version of this process to kick a disability advocate off the scheme without evidence. The advocate was later reinstated with an extra disability recognised under the act. Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service says these abuses of power are becoming more common and materialise in both policy decisions taken by the agency and in a new flex of its power made with the backing of legislative reforms that began in October last year. “More matters are being met with intransigent conduct by the NDIA at the Tribunal, resulting in an increase in other funded advocacy services seeking our assistance for support with their work,” the service says in a report obtained by The Saturday Paper.
August 30, 2025 at 9:26 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
August 21, 2025 at 8:02 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
Mean Streak has been shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards in the non-fiction category. Stoked, of course, but particularly because I think this episode deserves to linger in the consciousness for as long as possible.
August 12, 2025 at 10:25 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
Having now had the chance to read the report properly, I can't help but notice. My questions to DEWR on 26 November 2024. DEWR tells the Ombudsman's office the next day when Ombo says they SHOULD have told them in July but didn't.
August 5, 2025 at 9:39 PM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
Anyway. I got to go to sleep, so I leave you with this. Will the minister make any referrals to the Australian Public Service Commission? Will the NDIA? Nothing to see here. www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/health/...
Screenshot of end of the article that reads: NDIS Minister Jenny McAllister did not respond to questions from The Saturday Paper about whether the conduct of the agency executive should be investigated, but a spokesperson for the minister said: “We are focused on ensuring the NDIS operates transparently and delivers fairer and more consistent decisions.” A spokesperson for the agency said all participants have a right to review at tribunal and “new information” was provided that allowed them to reinstate access for the participant in this case before it went to hearing. The Saturday Paper asked if the agency was confident the conduct of its executives was within the bounds of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act that regulates Commonwealth Officials. “The agency has at all times in this matter conducted itself legally and in line with the NDIS Act 2013,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
July 4, 2025 at 10:20 PM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
Launching the gorgeous Desire Paths by @meganclement.bsky.social in her adopted home, Paris. A really crisp and assured book of big ideas and charming lines.
June 17, 2025 at 5:42 PM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
So I look forward to what the investigation finds.
June 4, 2025 at 4:58 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
The 'likes' were in among normal posts the VC account had liked or reacted to about the work of the university and her former and beloved school, Cybernetics, so it's a very strange one.
June 4, 2025 at 4:56 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
Jesus they misled Sparke Helmore Lawyers who were brought in to investigate 'independently' the complaint about the Health official.
2.69 On 26 July 2023, the complainant made a second complaint to a more senior official about the manner in which their initial complaint about stakeholder engagement had been handled. Following a meeting between Health and the complainant, the complainant requested that their original and second complaint be dealt with independently of the department’s Aged Care Group. In September 2023, Health engaged Sparke Helmore Lawyers to investigate the two complaints. The investigation concluded that: (a) the conduct, the subject of the Complaints, does not constitute a suspected breach of the APS Code of Conduct; and (b) [the officials’] conduct falls below the standard of behaviour that would reasonably be expected in the circumstances, particularly when engaging with a stakeholder. 2.70 Sparke Helmore Lawyers relied in part on records provided by the official who was the subject of the initial complaint. The official’s records did not reveal that the complaint had been shared with external parties (see paragraph 2.68). The investigation report stated that Sparke Helmore Lawyers had been instructed that Health did not have a policy to deal with complaints made by third parties or stakeholders. This was incorrect. The 2021 complaints management policy applied to members of the general public, Health’s customers and clients, and other external stakeholders.
May 27, 2025 at 5:33 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
Truly. The wagons get circled so fast. This should never have happened.
2.68 Health received a number of complaints from stakeholders about the Future Fit program. The ANAO examined the handling of one complaint relating to stakeholder engagement. On 25 July 2023, a MoW stakeholder emailed a complaint directly to the business area about the behaviour of a Health senior official. The complaint alleged that the official was refusing to engage with a MoW stakeholder and that they had not behaved in a manner consistent with the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct, among other matters. Health did not deal with the complaint in a manner that was consistent with its complaints management policy: Health officials did not triage and escalate the complaint appropriately; communication with the complainant was not always respectful and courteous; and the complainant’s privacy was not respected, as the complaint was shared with individuals outside of Health
May 27, 2025 at 5:30 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
The judgment is 110,000 words and this took me longer to produce than I would like to admit. But art takes time, as I'm sure you'll agree. Especially my favourite part below. Subscribe if the mood takes you. rick-morton.ghost.io/a-short-viol...
Screenshot of the newsletter post containing the words: 13: 'It is not clear where this submission fits into the appellant’s notice of appeal. On the assumption that it does, however, it must be rejected'. This is the judicial equivalent of rescuing a disoriented homing pigeon and releasing it into a ceiling fan.
May 26, 2025 at 2:03 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
I really hope it’s like this.
May 15, 2025 at 12:22 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
No, not that CEO, a different one.
May 15, 2025 at 12:21 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
bond villain ass austender entry
May 12, 2025 at 11:00 PM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
May 12, 2025 at 6:53 AM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
I mean, sure, have Nous work on your paper to show to the university's ~governing body~ and change the branding back to make it look like it came from ANU. But don't try and mislead the senate. Or do, but own it when caught.
On October 15, a Nous principal wrote to the ANU provost and COO: “At our meeting on Monday, I offered to start the thinking on your upcoming paper to Council that combines the principles and approach to get to [redacted]. Attached is that straw dog for your critique, noting that we will, of course, format the Figures in the back into ANU branding and similar cleaning up if you’d like them included in a final paper.” Why the Nous involvement has been so heavily guarded is not clear. The secrecy has led the university into fractious debates before the Australian parliament, however. Last month the ANU had to pull several of its official responses to questions in budget estimates hearings, in which it falsely stated that no consulting firms were ever involved in cost-saving and restructuring work at the university. Two months after she signed the pre-approval for Nous’s exemption to work on cost saving at the university, Bell and her team appeared before Senate estimates – making the ANU the only university to be called before Commonwealth parliament. They were asked whether consultants were engaged in cost-cutting work. “I initially engaged the Nous Group a number of months ago to help think about how to look at the role and the changing role of universities in a global landscape,” Bell said. “I was interested in what were the ways that universities thought strategically and what was a global survey. Since then, we’ve been continuing to work with them in order to understand best practice around service infrastructure and support services.”
May 9, 2025 at 11:34 PM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
One case, among many: a young girl with the most severe form of cerebral palsy who needs round-the-clock care. Tribunal tore the agency to shreds over its conduct in this matter. They spent $53m on silks and lawyers just for tribunal hearings in 2023-24, FYI.
The NDIA had decided the girl did not need the clinical expertise of a registered nurse (RN) on shift, or “duplicate” forms of support such as hydrotherapy in addition to physiotherapy. It proposed shifting the care to a delegated model staffed by “high intensity support workers” with no daily RN support and rejecting art and music therapy because the young girl “enjoys” them, which it argued meant they could not be therapeutic. The tribunal rejected this argument as “concerning”. “I am concerned that the risks to [the girl]’s safety are very high. There is no indication that the agency has given consideration to the best interests of the child in this matter,” general member Justin Toohey found. “There is also no indication that the Agency has assessed the risks and safeguards in relation to [the girl] as required by Rule 4.1(c).” Toohey granted an increase in registered nursing hours and the therapy that experts recommended. He admonished the NDIA for taking an “adversarial approach which was directed at defending their [original] decision”. “[T]he agency should consider whether their conduct in this matter was consistent with good practices in taking a trauma-informed approach and supporting participants and their families in all their dealings with the agency,” he wrote.
May 2, 2025 at 11:48 PM
squigglyrick.bsky.social
Shocked. www.canberratimes.com.au/story/894818...
April 23, 2025 at 2:11 AM