While the long-awaited Thodey Report makes many sensible recommendations, the detail is often missing and the analysis weak. And the government’s response rules out key reforms.
Scott Morrison has rejected or sidelined a number of recommendations from the long-awaited Thodey review.
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A proposal to ensure changes to the machinery of government “are well planned and evaluated” received short shrift.
Andrew Metcalfe, sacked by prime minister Tony Abbott, has done a full circle and is being appointed to head the new department of agriculture, water and the environment by Morrison.
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Morrison said the shrinking of the number of departments was “to ensure the services that Australians rely on are delivered more efficiently and effectively”.
Delivering the Parliamentary Library Lecture on Tuesday, Podger said the incentives for senior public servants had changed, and this had affected the way they acted.
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The former public service commissioner said the relationship between ministers and the Australian public service has transformed from a partnership to one more like “master-servant”.
Morrison describes the “the bacon and eggs principle” where “the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed”.
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Ahead of the formal receipt of the Thodey report on the public service, Morrison stresses the service must be responsive to both its ministers and the “quiet Australians”.
Beth Noveck and Rod Glover argue that to reverse the ‘creeping crisis’ faced by the public service, the government must train public servants to use creative problem-solving methods.
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On the ‘creeping crisis’ in the public service
The Conversation, CC BY28.8 MB(download)
A timely study of the public service, titled Today's problems, Yesterday's toolkit discusses the ‘creeping crisis’ of effectiveness and legitimacy the Australian public service is facing.
The public service has been slow to adopt innovation in Australia – and this is a problem when it comes to effective government in the 21st century.
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Our new research shows that public servants are eager to become innovative public problem solvers, but their leaders are standing in their way.
On Monday week, Morrison will set out in detail his thoughts on the public service in an address to the Institute of Public Administration.
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The public service is a soft target, and Scott Morrison has already had it in his sights, telling it to remember the old adage – that it is on tap and the government is on top.