In September 2009, the Australian Government announced its intention to make the Australian Public Service (APS) the best anywhere in the world. They called for sweeping reforms underpinned by a blueprint for a public service to prepare Australia for the 22nd century. To develop this blueprint, an Advisory Group comprised of departmental secretaries, chief executives and representatives from academia and the private sector was convened. The aim of the Advisory Group was to provide reform recommendations that would enable the APS, and the broader Australian public sector, to adequately address both contemporary public policy and organisational challenges.
- Meets the needs of citizens by providing high quality, tailored public services and by engaging citizens in the design and development of services and policy;
- Provides strong leadership and strategic direction;
- Is distinguished by its highly capable workforce;
- Operates efficiently and at a consistently high standard.
(Australian Government Reform of Australian Government Administration [AGRAGA], 2010).
These components formed the basis for a proposed suite of reforms, each with a series of sub goals, which sought to:
- Deliver better services for citizens;
- Create more open government;
- Enhance policy capability;
- Reinvigorate strategic leadership;
- Introduce a new Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) to drive change and provide strategic planning;
- Clarify and align employment conditions;
- Strengthen workforce planning and development;
- Ensure agency agility, capability and effectiveness; and
- Improve agency (organisational) efficiency.
(AGRAGA, 2010).
This demand by the Politicians is consistent with those who are in positions of power and management in any organisational system and enterprise demanding of others what they lack - a performance framework encompassing people with high skill and abilities.
The book’s central thesis is that the media and politicians are locked into a dumbed-down, trivial, vicious circle, that is for the most part instigated by dumb, lazy journalism, and dumb media organisation that encourage such journalism and coverage of politics. So well argued and accurate is Tanner’s thesis that I think this may actually be the first time a book’s thesis has been completely proven correct before the book has even been officially launched. The book is a very complex and intelligent discussion of politics and the media.' (http://www.scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/sideshow/)
The Westminster system of government, whilst being founded on bicameral political party opposition, is also founded on the principles of collaboration between like members of political parties. So that when in government they function as a team. It is also founded on the principle of the guardianship of the functional systems of government residing in the Public Service.
These pillars have been eroded and corroded, if not destroyed, by career politicians, political party advisers and staff, who seem to lack knowledge of these principles and the necessary talents that political parties must embody to enable the continuance of the principles of Westminster.
They have taken unto themselves more and more functions away from the Public Service and in doing so the Prime Ministers and the Ministers have been shown to be totally incapable of managing what they have taken. Thus if you look at the above numbers that set out the demands that are made of Public Service by the Government of Australia you can see and inherent hypocrisy. If we transpose each into the Australian political institutions and openly look at the description of each we can see obviously that no Australian political party, since the eighties has demonstrated a capacity, when in government or opposition has shown an ability to be adaptable to meet the needs of the 21st Century, current, let alone the 22nd Century.
When a Prime Minister or a Minister, a Premier or Chief Minister and Ministers of every Australian jurisdiction stuff up invariably it is someone else’s fault and the survival of said Minister and the retention of office and power can be paramount.
It is the lack of organisational capability and an understanding of the foundations of our system of government that may explain why we have so many “once time leaders and governments”” across the Australian political landscape. The electorate has detached from politics and is so condescending of the political class that it just cycles in new governments whose incumbents are inexperienced and unprepared for Government. This is the case in Northern Territory, Queensland and Victoria. Perhaps there are no better modern day examples of a lack of capability than Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Tony Abbott, Ted Baillieu, Adam Giles and Denis Napthine. One could add who have just come to office but that would be sheer speculation without real evidence.
Australian politics is the only career I know of where past Chief Executives get multiples hots at being Chief Executives again regardless of performance and capability.
In this article I am implying or saying that the Public Service should not pursue continual improvement. I am posing the argument that Australian politicians and their party machines should at least begin the road to any sort of performance improvement, instead of dribbling on about Innovation and the 22nd Century demanding things of the Public Service and the people of Australia whilst the politicians themselves live in glass houses wrapping themselves in their fantasies of self.