‘Which one’s which?’: The blurred lines between ministers and their top public servants | natassiazc
For the senior public servants who would have their emails, decisions and text messages pored over in full public view, the parliamentary probe into John Barilaro’s appointment to a plum New York trade role was not ideal. But it was, to use the words of the state’s top bureaucrat,They were right to be concerned.
But Investment NSW chief executive Amy Brown’s opening statement to the inquiry in June gave nothing away. “I am committed to the public sector core values of integrity, trust, service and accountability. That includes the Westminster principle of an apolitical and impartial public service,” she said.
While she maintained she was responsible for the decision, Brown confessed she “had some nervousness” about the ramifications. Ministers who have worked with Brown regard her as intelligent, but there is a view that she was promoted too quickly, without the requisite experience for such a senior role.
Podger, now a professor of public policy, said the political arm of government had put pressure on what was ostensibly a public service decision. “There’s not a lot [the bureaucrat] can do – the ministry is their boss. What’s happening in terms of the relationships is that frank and fearless advice takes second priority to the advice from the ministerial adviser,” she said.
If there were concerns about the hiring process or political influence, Watson said it was the role of a public servant to report it. At the Commonwealth level, secretary appointments are made by the prime minister, but only after a report by the prime minister and cabinet secretary and the public service commissioner. The commissioner is also responsible for certifying senior executive appointments are made strictly according to merit, and these appointments are usually ongoing, not term contracts. The NSW equivalent does not have these statutory responsibilities.
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