Speaking to Professor Glyn Davis for the University of Melbourne’s ‘Policy Shop’ podcasts, Dr Martin Parkinson, Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, reflects on a career in the Australian Public Service, from the reforms of the 1980s to leading today’s service.
‘The Australian Public Service was established at the Federation of Australia in 1901 as the Commonwealth Public Service. Its name may have changed but its role has not – to provide efficient, effective, professional and impartial support.
‘In this episode of the Policy Shop podcast, the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Dr. Martin Parkinson reflects on his notable career, covering Australia’s major economic reforms of the 80s and 90s, establishing the first Department of Climate Change and forming policy amidst today’s 24 hour news cycle.’
- Does government get the right advice? »
- Turnbull’s department head says Tony Abbott damaged public service »
- Turnbull’s chief of staff to be new Public Service Commissioner »
- Consultants doing core public service work ‘deeply problematic’ »
- Why we need to stop paying executives for performance »
- Federal Government spending $5 billion per year on contractors as gig economy grows inside public service »
- Almost a public servant: Labour hire and accountability »
- Accountability in the public sector »
- Quashing cronyism in the public service »
- APS suffers from ‘command and control’ dynamic and outsourcing, expert says »
- Terry Moran: Public service’s management of social policy ‘damaging’ respect for government »
- ‘Utterly unacceptable’: $1b annual spend on consultants undermining APS »
- Public Sector Informant: Will the ‘rivers of gold’ stop flowing for consultants after this election? »
- Public Sector Informant: Consultants are here to stay, so government needs to use them better »
- We need a stronger public service – but consultants have their place »
- Albanese appoints former University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Glyn Davis to head PMC »
- The return of frank, fearless advice »
- Labor to bring consulting work in-house at APS as Katy Gallagher announces reforms »
- The rise of unaccountable ministerial advisors: why Victoria’s IBAC report should concern all Australians
- PwC scandal shows consultants, like church officials, are best kept out of state affairs
- How reliance on consultancy firms like PwC undermines the capacity of governments
- Blacklisting PwC won’t stop outsourcing: here are 3 reasons it has become embedded in the Australian public service
- After robodebt, here’s how Australia can have a truly ‘frank and fearless’ public service again
- My 3-point plan to untangle the public service from consultants such as PwC
- Revealed: Government’s $190 billion ‘sweetheart deals’ for donors and privileged few
- Consulting firm KPMG overcharged Defence while raking in billions of dollars, whistleblowers say
- Scandalous: How top four consulting firms pocketed $3.7 billion from Aussie armed forces contracts
- New data shows Defence department spent billions on consulting firms PwC, Deloitte, EY, KPMG
- Who’s minding the minders?
- View from The Hill: ‘Player’ Mike Pezzullo undone by power play
- Pezzullo story points to serious systemic problems in the Australian Public Service
- Threat to democracy: The case for sacking Tange and Pezzullo