Fixing the Queensland Public Service or putting in a new political ‘fix’?

We need a world class public service and I intend to make sure that we govern with a focus on delivering service for every Queenslander. And to those public servants I want you to know we intend to give vision and direction and leadership and advice will be fearless and frank, the culture of entrenched fear will be over and together we can deliver the services that Queenslanders deserve.David Crisafulli, leader of the LNP and new Queensland Premier, victory speech 26 October, 2024.

The task ahead

In Westminster democracies like Queensland's, it is opposition one day, government the next, ready or not. There is no transition period, as in the United States, where the President is elected in November but does not take the reins of office till the following January. During that interim period incoming presidents work out whom they are going to appoint to their cabinets and the thousands of other positions.

So, promises and policies made by the LNP in opposition and detailed in its 100 day action plan now have to be delivered. That can only be done by the new government working co-operatively with the Queensland Public Service (QPS). It is for the QPS to: advise how to implement those policies; to draft the legislation; cost them accurately; explain what can and cannot be realistically done in the timeframes demanded; and provide the administrative processes and on-the-ground staff to deliver programs throughout the state.

Also, there were many areas where the LNP with its "small target" electoral strategy did not detail what it might do. Further, there are ongoing issues that will need adjustment. New ministers will need to rely on the current public service to help them develop new policies and to respond to issues as they arise in other areas.

Certainly, in these times, Queensland needs a "world class public service" to do these tasks, but what do we have now and what is a "world class public service"?

The problem - Queensland's broken and politicised public service

The crux of the problem is that Queensland's Public Service, like others in Australia, has after years of almost unbroken one-party Labor government, become increasingly politicised.

We have moved from the Westminster system, with a permanent, career, independent public service, to a more American model where each new government replaces all senior roles with their own appointees – what is now called in Australia, the 'Washminster' system with some of the US checks and balances.

Queensland's "Washminster system' involves:

• Senior public servants are appointed more directly by the government of the day rather than by independent personnel processes;

• Many appointees are laterally recruited and are partisan or have ideological sympathies with the government of the day – the now sacked head of the Premier's Department, Mike Kaiser, was a former Labor politician, party official and staffer, which sends the wrong message to the rest of the public service;

• Most senior public servants are on contract and thus necessarily beholden to that government for their future employment resulting in a public service 'over-responsive' to ministers;

• Senior public servants may be professionally qualified but are appointed because of their known sympathy to the government of the day – these "merit cronies" see their role to further the government's political, as well as policy, agenda; and

• Wholesale changes to senior ranks with every change in government involves politicisation in an ever-wider range of positions; across all aspects of government – some are appointed to meet various identify quotas.

What are the consequences of a politicised public service?

It has meant a:

• Loss of frank and fearless advice – the public service gives advice that ministers want to hear rather than the expert, professional and frank and fearless advice they need to hear;

• High turnover of senior public servants with each change of government resulting in:

  • loss of experience and organisational memory;

  • deskilling of the public service and greater reliance on consultants;

• Waste of time and resources as new governments take time to make the new appointments and the new appointees learn on the job what has to be done and what works and the inevitable bureaucratic restructurings they initiate.

All these factors explain why so many policies, programs, and infrastructure projects fail and end as expensive white elephants or policy fiascos achieving only part, if lucky, of what was promised.