7 research outputs found
[Portrait of David Thodey, 2000] [picture] /
No full textCondition: good.; Accompanied by transcript of speech.; Part of the collection of portraits of David Thodey addressing the National Press Club, 21 June 2000
Making the connection: essays on Indigenous digital excellence
No full textMaking the Connection is an e-book collection of essays commissioned by the Telstra Foundation to explore the issues surrounding access to the digital world for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Five thought provoking essays are included in the collection, authored by a range of contributors including social media practitioner Luke Pearson (founder of the @IndigenousX project), academic Dr Lester Irabinna Rigney from University of Adelaide, and CEO of the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence Jason Glanville. Telstra contributions are from CEO, David Thodey, Tim O’Leary and Lauren Ganley
Looking for Lazarus: Rust v Renewal in the Australian Public Service
No full textOn 4 May 2018, the Australian Government announced a review of the Australian Public Service (APS) to be chaired by
former Telstra Chief Executive Officer, Mr David Thodey. The review
panel subsequently invited the public to make submissions to the review.This paper is submission to the
review by Angela O'Brien-Malone and Mark R. Diamond
Our Public Service, Our Future. Independent Review of the Australian Public Service
No full textThe Australian Public Service (APS) is a foundational institution of Australia’s democracy. It performs a critical role within the executive arm of government. Its proper functioning is essential to the future prosperity and security of all Australians and successive governments require the APS to perform efficiently and effectively in order to fulfil their responsibilities. This is one of the most substantive reviews of the APS conducted since the Coombs Royal Commission of 1976, which helped us navigate the last 40 years so successfully as a nation. The review in 2019 looks at the key actions that must be taken to ensure that the APS is fit for purpose to serve all Australians now and in the decades ahead. This is essential to create a more prosperous Australia for all its citizens.This report was commisioned by Commonwealth of Australia Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Business ethics debated in the big end of town
No full textDo business and ethics mix? Can you be a nice guy and still run a business? Are we necessarily governed by the market? Telstra chief, David Thodey, Sydney Catholic Archbishop, Cardinal George Pell, former Wallabies Captain, John Eales and marketing expert John Moore were put on their toes yesterday when asked these questions at a Business Ethics Q&A lunch hosted by The University of Notre Dame Australia.Members of the business, academic and religious communities of Sydney were invited to the event to debate and discuss the topic, God or Mammon: Need or Greed in the Big End of Town?, and to challenge the speakers on crucial issues in the business world.David Thodey responded to a question about being a nice guy and was adamant that being successful was not a matter of whether a person was “nice” or not but about making the right choices for your business, customers and staff. He also argued that making profits cannot be a bad thing, “You can make profit for the common good, but it’s when you make excessive profits that you become unstuck.”One of the liveliest discussions of the day revolved around Cardinal Pell’s answer when asked whether it was ethical to produce arms or promote gambling and tobacco.“I would argue that it’s not unethical to produce arms; I think you can produce arms morally. You might say in some cases it is necessary. We are a peaceful country. If we were unarmed that would be an enticement to evil people. The best way to stay as we are is to be strong and effectively armed so I think you could make the case for the morality of some arms production,” he said.He also spoke of gambling being bad when it destroyed people’s lives, but did not see it as unethical if kept under control: “Only when it becomes an addiction, threatening the well being of oneself and one’s family, does it become a sin”.The event was organised by the University’s Centre for Faith Ethics and Society as part of its mission to promote the study of faith and ethics and their integration into the broader life of society.The Centre’s Director, Associate Professor Sandra Lynch, said the event generated vibrant and well-focused discussion on a variety of issues.“Such issues as the balance between achieving profitability and contributing to the common good ought to be debated in a civilised society. We hope that ongoing debate of this kind will raise the level of ethical awareness in our communities and influence the decision making which occurs in business and the political sphere of life.“CFES intends to follow-up this lunch and discussion panel with other events in 2011 which will continue this important conversation,” said Professor Lynch.
Media Contact:
Moira Saunders02 8204 440
Transcription analysis of apple fruit development using cDNA microarrays
No full textThe knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying fruit quality traits is fundamental to devise efficient marker-assisted selection strategies and to improve apple breeding. In this study, cDNA microarray technology was used to identify genes whose expression changes during fruit development and maturation thus potentially involved in fruit quality traits. The expression profile of 1,536 transcripts was analysed by microarray hybridisation. A total of 177 genes resulted to be differentially expressed in at least one of the developmental stages considered. Gene ontology annotation was employed to univocally describe gene function, while cluster analysis allowed grouping genes according to their expression profile. An overview of the transcriptional changes and of the metabolic pathways involved in fruit development was obtained. As expected, August and September are the two months where the largest number of differentially expressed genes was observed. In particular, 85 genes resulted to be up-regulated in September. Even though most of the differentially expressed genes are involved in primary metabolism, several other interesting functions were detected and will be presented
Analysis of institutional adaptability to redress electricity infrastructure vulnerability due to climate change
No full textSummary
This report presents the findings and recommendations from the project called ‘Analysis of institutional adaptability to redress electricity infrastructure vulnerability due to climate change’. The objectives of the project are to examine the adaptive capacity of existing institutional arrangements in the National Electricity Market (NEM) to existing and predicted climate change conditions. Specifically the project:
identifies climate change adaptation issues in the NEM;
analyses climate change impacts on reliability in the NEM under alternative climate change scenarios to 2030, particularly what adaptation strategies the power generation and supply network infrastructure will need; and
assesses the robustness of the institutional arrangements that supports effective adaptation.
The project finds that four factors are hindering or required for adaptation to climate change:
1. fragmentation of the NEM, both politically and economically;
2. accelerated deterioration of the transmission and distribution infrastructure due to climate change requiring the deployment of technology to defer investment in transmission and distribution;
3. lacking mechanisms to develop a diversified portfolio of generation technology and energy sources to reduce supply risk; and
4. failure to model and treat the NEM as a national node based entity rather than state based.
The project’s findings are primarily to address climate change issues but if these four factors are addressed, the resilience of the NEM is improved to handle other adverse contingences. For instance, the two factors driving the largest increases in electricity prices are investment in transmission and distribution and fossil fuel prices. Peak demand drives the investment in transmission and distribution but peak demand is only for a relatively short period. Exacerbating this effect is increasing underutilisation of transmission and distribution driven by both solar photo voltaic (PV) uptake and climate change. Using demand side management (DSM) to shift demand to outside peak periods provides one method to defer investment in transmission and distribution. Recommendation 2 addresses investment deferment.
The commodity boom has increased both price and price volatility of fossil fuels where the lack of diversity in generation makes electricity prices very sensitive to fossil fuel prices and disruptions in supply. A diversified portfolio of generation would ameliorate the price sensitivity and supply disruptions. Furthermore, long term electricity price rises are likely to ensue as the fossil fuels become depleted. A diversified portfolio of generation would also ready the NEM for this contingency. Recommendation 3 addresses diversified portfolios.
This project makes four inter-related recommendations to address the four factors listed above. The non-technical summary in the report’s preface presents the recommendations without discussion and Chapter 10 discusses the justification for these recommendations in more detail. 
