Forward to the Past
Partly. Last 30 years of Oz Fed Gov policy has been any excuse to slash and burn. I suspect the owners of the organisations who launder cash to the donor bodies who fund political parties may be able to explain why destroying public value to enrich the wealthy has such a hold on the bureaucracy and "advisors" to government. But I digress.
This committee report seems to suggest re-instituting what the "old" Public Service had. Old as in pre Howards Way. Career paths for specialist roles such as effective honest purchasing, asset management, office space management and IT. These were destroyed by Howard and successor governments who seem to be blindly following the high rank PHBs who apparently believe only high level PHBing was in any way "special" and deserving of perks, bonuses and obscene salaries.
Side Note. Over the decades I heard constant prattle from on high about efficiency and accountability. I am still astounded that the cost of the infestation of consultants, contractors, advisors and their ilk is not itemised in loving detail to demonstrate why highly paid blow ins are so much more effective than career public servants who are appropriately trained, assessed and paid.
Lest some shill for the corrupt moan, (what, on ElReg ?) I state that having worked in public and private sectors in purchasing and IT among other bouts of boredom, that the private sector was _always_ more rule ridden, inefficient and corrupt. The bigger the company, the worse it was, especially in purchasing roles. IMNSHO, auditors who are not beholden to their own multinational should be the next TV heroes. The Commonwealth Audit office should have its funding tripled and strike fear into Ministers, public service executives. Then we start on Defence and spook funding.