For years, MB bemoaned the depletion of Australia’s public sector caused by decades of government outsourcing, waves of senior redundancies, and governments’ inclination to seek advice from hired “cash for comment” consultants.
As a result, the public sector’s historical reputation for “frank and fearless advice” has faded, replaced by propaganda and paid assessments aimed at achieving a certain political goal.
Our view was supported by last year’s Senate Committee report titled “APS Inc: undermining public sector capability and performance”, which labelled consultants as “ticket clippers” and “rent seekers” and claimed they contributed to the politicisation of the public sector.
