Via The Guardian:
The head of the pesticides authority being forcibly relocated to Barnaby Joyce’s electorate has resigned.
Kareena Arthy, the chief executive of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, informed the deputy prime minister of her decision on Thursday afternoon.
It leaves the APVMA bereft of leadership in a tumultuous time for the agency, with 20 of 100 regulatory scientists having already abandoned the agency in recent months. A spokeswoman for the APVMA said she could not comment.
It comes days after the Turnbull government’s surprise announcement that it wants to decentralise as many government departments as possible, moving the positions of city-based public servants to Australia’s regions in a dramatic reshaping of the bureaucracy.
Hoocoodanode following this gem:
A federal government agency has handed its public servants scripted lines, to be recited in “BBQ conversations” and other “social settings”, about its controversial move out of town.
Workers at the pesticides authority have been given a long list of “talking points” to use on friends or family asking about the authority’s forced relocation from Canberra to Armidale in the heart of the electorate of Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce.
“We want you to feel confident when you answer questions about the relocation and we encourage you to keep talking to the people you love and trust about the relocation.”
…”(I’m not sure if I’ll relocate to Armidale:) For the moment, I’m getting on with the job and considering the information on the transition as its provided,” The talking points read.
“(I won’t be relocating to Armidale.) For the moment, I’m getting on with the job and considering the information on the transition as its provided.
“(I’m pretty sure I’ll be relocating to Armidale) I’m listening to what our executive have to say about the transition, but for the moment I’m getting on with the job.”
It’s a very weird government full of very weird people.
