A former senior public official says government workers should be “pushing back” against political decisions they know are wrong.

Gary Sturgess, the man credited with setting up the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, says public service is a “craft” that has lost its way.

Addressing students ahead of his new role as Professor of Public Service Innovation at Griffith University, Mr Sturgess said that modern bureaucrats are analysing less and have stopped communicating their concerns.

“Some people have said to me the public service has given up the field,” he said.

“There is a role to play in making sure ministers don’t rush ahead and act contrary to the public interest and public servants are custodians of that wisdom.”

He says Labor’s home insulation fiasco and the ongoing corruption inquiries in NSW are reminders of occasions where public servants should have spoken out more aggressively.

His comments have been echoed by other senior officials, who say secretaries and their staff have been locked out of decision-making, and the authority of public servants has been destroyed by over-powered political gatekeepers. 

The leader of the Business Council of Australia, Jennifer Westacott, believes public service should influence decisions on the Australia’s future, but it not dealing with succession planning, technology or efficiency needs.
Professor Sturgess told his budding policy students that a working machinery of government remains vitally important.

“I think there is perhaps less concern now about the craft of public service,” he said.

“That craft is about caring and ensuring you are across the range of disciplines, skills and techniques that are required.

“Studying what has been happening in other jurisdictions and learning lessons from the past are all part of what I would call the craft. The capacity to innovate in policy and in delivery lies at the heart of the craft.

“Those who excel are partly motivated by the thrill of solving complex problems and a need to make a difference in the world.”