Government World Magazine | Government related news stories and press releases

Jul182017

Cabinet briefings

I agree with the Chancellor about one thing. It is best if private conversations around the Cabinet table remain private. Every member should be able to put their case, and all come out telling us what was agreed. If we learn about everything that is said it makes it more difficult for Cabinet to consider awkward issues or unpopular views.

There seem to be two main arguments underway which are now the stuff of media speculation. There is the argument about public sector pay and spending levels. There is another argument about the nature of Brexit.

The pay round is now well advanced. The government did set guidance of a 1% overall payrise for the public sector. Individual Pay Review bodies can propose more in the light of supply/demand circumstances, current levels of pay and standards of living, comparability with other groups and the rest. Government is likely to accept the recommendations of the Review Bodies. I have suggested government give more consideration to productivity based deals where employees receive something for something, more money for working smarter. Government has plenty of scope to help employees work smarter with more technology back up and better training.

The issue of Brexit is meant to have been settled. The government reached a common position for the Article 50 letter and the White Paper. Apparently there are arguments about a transitional deal. We are still 20 months away from leaving, plenty of time to do a proper deal about our future relationship. Surely you would only consider an implementation phase near the end if there really are problems that will take a bit longer to work out. It will be no easier negotiating a transitional agreement than an agreement, so lets get on with the real thing.

There need be no cliff edge without an agreement. We know how WTO operates and what it looks like. There is plenty of time to put in place the landing rights, customs checks and the rest for continued EU trade. We should be doing that just in case there is no deal.

Jul182017

China’s first crawfish college to add more taste to industry

GovWorldMagEast Asia

People enjoy themselves at a crawfish banquet during a crawfish festival in Xuyi county, east China’s Jiangsu Province, June 13, 2017. Over 30,000 people attend the event and eat 35 tons of crayfishes provided by 47 local shops. [Photo/Xinhua]

A popular snack in China, crawfish has spawned a new professional industry with an occupational school in Hubei Province set to train students in all aspects of the crustacean, reported thepaper.cn.

The Jianghan Art Vocational College in Qianjiang city has enrolled 86 students in crawfish-related majors. From the fall semester, students will study 2-3 year courses on catering management, marketing, and cooking and nutrition.

The city is one of the major producers of crawfish in China. Cooking and exporting the freshwater crustacean is a main income source for local farmers.

In May 2016, the college set up a crawfish school, the only one of its kind in China, as the city aimed to boost the industry by cultivating more crawfish breeders, cooks and opening more crawfish restaurants.

“Despite the rapid growth of the crawfish industry, managerial professionals are still in shortage,” Xia Zhizhong, a recruitment officer at the school, said.

China is the world’s largest crawfish producer. By mid-2016, the number of restaurants selling crawfish was triple the number of KFC outlets in China.

Jul182017

A Strong and Secure Australia

GovWorldMagAustralia

The Turnbull Government will undertake the most significant reform of Australia’s national intelligence and domestic security arrangements in more than 40 years.

The reforms will restructure and strengthen Australia’s Intelligence Community, establish a Home Affairs portfolio and enhance the Attorney-General’s oversight of Australia’s intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies.

Australia faces an increasingly complex security environment, evolving threats from terrorism and organised crime, and the development of new and emerging technologies, including encryption.

In view of these developments, the Prime Minister announced a review of Australia’s Intelligence Community last year.

Professor Michael L’Estrange and Mr Stephen Merchant, and their adviser, Sir Iain Lobban, have finalised their report to Government. We thank them for their thorough and ground-breaking work.

The review concluded that Australia’s intelligence agencies are highly capable and staffed by skilled officers. It also made many important recommendations to transform these agencies into a world-class intelligence community.

The review highlighted how changing security threats and technologies are driving the need for closer cooperation between our domestic security and law enforcement agencies.

For over a decade, successive Governments have responded to worsening security trends with ad hoc arrangements to strengthen coordination and cooperation between Australia’s intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies.

These arrangements have been highly effective. Intelligence and law enforcement agencies have successfully interdicted 12 imminent terrorist attacks since September 2014. Operation Sovereign Borders, has also prevented successful people smuggling ventures for nearly three years.

However, the Government believes that the evolving and complex threats to Australia’s security require more enduring and better integrated intelligence and domestic security arrangements.

We have accepted the recommendations of the Australian Intelligence Community review as a sound basis to reform Australia’s intelligence arrangements.

The Government will establish an Office of National Intelligence, headed by a Director of National Intelligence, and transform the Australian Signals Directorate into a statutory agency within the Defence portfolio.

The Government will also establish a Home Affairs portfolio of immigration, border protection and domestic security and law enforcement agencies.

The new Home Affairs portfolio will be similar to the Home Office of the United Kingdom: a central department providing strategic planning, coordination and other support to a ‘federation’ of independent security and law enforcement agencies including the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Border Force and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.

These arrangements will preserve the operational focus and strengths of frontline agencies engaged in the fight against terrorism, organised crime and other domestic threats.

In view of these significant reforms, the Government will also strengthen the Attorney-General’s oversight of Australia’s intelligence community and the agencies in the Home Affairs portfolio.

Strong oversight and accountability is important to give the public confidence that our agencies not only safeguard our nation’s security, but do so respecting the rights and liberties of all Australians.

The Attorney-General will continue to be the issuer of warrants under the ASIO Act, and Ministerial Authorisations under the Intelligence Services Act and will continue to administer the Criminal Code Act 1995 and the Crimes Act 1914.

The Attorney-General’s portfolio will incorporate the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security and the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor. The Government will also consider measures to strengthen the operation of both roles.

In addition, the Attorney-General’s portfolio will house the Commonwealth Ombudsman, which will remain an independent statutory body.

These reforms are significant and complex; they will take time to fully implement.

Planning to implement the changes to the Australian Intelligence Community, the establishment of the Home Affairs portfolio and the strengthening of the Attorney-General’s portfolio will be undertaken within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The Attorney-General, the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection as Minister-designate for Home Affairs, and the Minister for Justice will work with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to develop these plans with a view to their implementation from early 2018.

These reforms are driven by serious threats to Australia’s security and the Government’s determination to keep Australians safe and secure.

They will complement work underway to implement the Government’s 2016 Defence White Paper, including investments in new combat capability for the Australian Defence Force.

The Government will also present a Foreign Policy White Paper later this year.

Jul182017

Press Releases: An Unequivocal Message From the People of Venezuela

USAUnited States • Democrats • OECD – United States • Republicans • White House

Press Statement

Heather Nauert

Department Spokesperson

Washington, DC

July 17, 2017

The United States applauds the courage and determination of Venezuelans who exercised their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly in defense of their democracy on July 16. Yesterday’s vote was a massive repudiation of the proposed National Constituent Assembly, which would undermine Venezuela’s democratic institutions. The vote by millions of Venezuelans was an unequivocal affirmation in support of free and fair elections as well as respect for the existing constitution.

Further, we condemn the loss of life in Catia, Caracas and deplore the violence. We call on the Venezuelan government to bring the attackers to justice.

Millions of Venezuelans’ voices must not be ignored. The United States calls on the Government of Venezuela to abandon the proposed National Constituent Assembly. We encourage governments in the hemisphere and around the world to call on President Maduro to suspend this process which only seeks to undermine democracy in Venezuela.

As the President stated earlier today, the United States is prepared to take strong and swift economic actions if the Government of Venezuela proceeds with the National Constituent Assembly action.

Jul182017

Press Releases: United States Applauds New European Union Sanctions on Syrian Regime Officers and Scientists Involved in the Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria

USAUnited States • Democrats • OECD – United States • Republicans • White House

Press Statement

Heather Nauert

Department Spokesperson

Washington, DC

July 17, 2017

We applaud today’s decision by the European Council to sanction sixteen senior military officials and Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Centre Scientists (SSRC) for their roles in the development and use of chemical weapons against civilian populations. This action follows sanctions designations recently undertaken by the United States, similarly aimed at holding the Syrian regime accountable for its repeated use of chemicals weapons on the Syrian people, including the April 4 Khan Shaykhun attack. In April 2017, the United States sanctioned numerous employees of the SSRC, the Syrian government agency responsible for developing and producing non-conventional weapons in support of Syria’s chemical weapons program. Additionally, in May 2017, the United States sanctioned a number of Syrian individuals and entities in response to acts of violence committed by the Government of Syria against its own citizens.

The combined efforts of the United States and the European Union, as well as recent sanctions actions by other partner states, are part of a continuing effort in the international community to hold the Assad regime responsible for violating longstanding global norms against the use of chemical weapons.