Dan Holmes

1 week ago | themandarin.com.au | Dan Holmes |Daniel Holmes

Early voting has continued to grow in popularity, continuing a long-term trend of people choosing to avoid polling places on election day. At the close of pre-polls on Friday, about 8.56 million (47%) of 18,098,797 Australians enrolled to vote had cast a ballot, a new high. The majority (6.77 million) attended early voting centres, and Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) mobile teams have taken 155,000 ballots in rural and remote areas.

1 week ago | themandarin.com.au | Dan Holmes |Daniel Holmes

Following a resounding election victory on Saturday night, the public service will see a continuation of the Labor party’s public service reform agenda. While significant progress has been made on the government’s APS reform agenda, last year’s progress report shows 35 of 59 initiatives had not been completed. Slivers of these initiatives, like flexible work as part of being a model employer, have taken on a life of their own as part of the campaign as stand-alone policies.

2 weeks ago | themandarin.com.au | Dan Holmes |Daniel Holmes

Ambulance Victoria has confirmed paramedics violated the state’s lockdown laws twice in 2021 by gathering at funerals for deceased coworkers. A statement from Ambulance Victoria on Wednesday says an “honour guard” of paramedics was present at a funeral during stage 4 COVID-19 restrictions in 2021. The news comes a week after an anonymous submission to Victorian Parliament revealed 40 paramedics had attended a funeral the same year. Acting CEO Andrew Crisp said these events should not have happened.

2 weeks ago | themandarin.com.au | Dan Holmes |Daniel Holmes

The Victorian Legislative Assembly Legal and Social Issues Committee will examine the recruitment methods used by cults and fringe groups in a parliamentary inquiry this year. The terms of reference are a single broad paragraph, encompassing “Cults and organised fringe groups in Victoria, the methods used to recruit and control their members, and the impacts of coercive control”.

2 weeks ago | themandarin.com.au | Dan Holmes |Daniel Holmes

The Western Australian government will hold a special inquiry into the management of the most recent state election, following a delayed final result last month. The inquiry follows concerns raised by voters, candidates, and politicians about the staffing and management of polling booths, which led to long waits and a slow vote count. Former Western Australian governor Malcolm McCusker will lead the effort. He said the inquiry will seek extensive information from the electoral commission.