Emeritus Professor Roger Scott writes:
The Palaszczuk government has started the process of selecting the cadre of public sector chief executives who will function as Directors-General in the newly constituted machinery of government (discussed elsewhere on the TJRyan Foundation website by Peter Bridgman The Palaszczuk Government and the ‘Machinery of Government’, Guide to the Machinery of Government in Queensland).
This process has occasioned significant comment in the media, linked to the combination of a clearly articulated policy of merit selection by the ALP, and the departure of several existing CEOs before any formal process was complete.
This contribution to the debate takes a deeper look at the precedents both historically within Queensland, and the practice in the rest of Australia.