A Government of Advisers: the Role, Influence and Accountability of Ministerial Advisers in the New South Wales Political System

A Government of Advisers: The Role, Influence and Accountability of Ministerial Advisers in the New South Wales Political System By Benito Folino School of Social Sciences and International Studies A thesis presented to the University of NSW for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2010 PLEASE TYPE THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname or Family name: FOLINO First name: BENITO Other name/s: Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: PhD School: SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND Faculty: ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL STUDIES Title: A Government of Advisers: The Role, Influence and Accountability of Ministerial Advisers in the New South Wales Political System Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) This thesis explores the roles, influence and accountability of ministerial advisers in the New South Wales (NSW) political system with a focus on developments during the Greiner/Fahey and Carr Governments. Important normative concerns are raised about advisers' functions, their power and influence, the legal and ethical framework in which they operate, and their involvement in managing interactions between ministers and the permanent public service. Much of the Australian research on advisers has focused on developments at the federal level with little attention being paid to political staffing arrangements in state jurisdictions. This thesis contributes to scant knowledge about advisers by focusing on the developments of political staffing in NSW. A grounded-theory based methodology is used on data collected from 23 interviews with advisers, ministers, government officials, and interest group representatives. Interpretivism was chosen as the principal research paradigm for eliciting an understanding of advisers' place in the NSW governmental system. The findings reveal that the administrative reforms introduced under Greiner created opportunities for advisers to both thrive in number and roles performed. Further, they show that advisers have led to a greater degree of convergence between political and administrative arms of government. This general argument challenges the authorised choice perspective of policy-making in which government officials develop policy and then pass this on to the Cabinet for final approval. The challenge this poses for a parliamentary democracy is that advisers make policy decisions both as ministers' representatives and as independent policy actors whose authority, though enacted through that of the minister's, lacks legitimacy. The adviser system in NSW has evolved into a large and elaborate political institution, one capable of providing the political executive with additional capacity to respond to the challenges of modern governance. As an organisational entity, advisers have become an important 'site of power' rivalling other more established political institutions such as the Cabinet and political parties. Significantly, the adviser system provides the political executive with an institutional means of organising for the development of policy by ministerialising the process: they imbue the process by ensuring a partisan perspective is brought to bear on policy decisions and that the process itself harmonises with the minister's outlook. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). …………………………………………………………… ……………………………………..……………… ……….……………… Signature Witness Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: THIS SHEET IS TO BE GLUED TO THE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF THE THESIS ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed: …………………………………………….............. Date: …………………………………………….............. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My deep gratitude goes to my two supervisors, Professor Eileen Baldry and Dr Michael Wearing. Without these two wonderful people, I would not have been able to complete my thesis. They showed tremendous patience and support in getting me through the critical steps of the process, teaching me the love and discipline of research and providing me with the motivation to complete my thesis in a timely fashion. There were many occasions during the past few years when I thought this thesis would never be completed but the encouragement and support provided to me by each of these people kept me going. Their guidance and direction and ability to relate to practical issues in research, made my task so much easier. Their knowledge and guidance in conducting qualitative research together with their extensive backgrounds in social science and politics were of immeasurable assistance to me. It is with heartfelt thanks that I express my gratitude to you both. I will miss our regular supervision sessions particularly the discussions about the roles of ministerial advisers and their influence in policy-making but will cherish the friendship that we have shared through the PhD experience. I am extremely grateful for the true generosity of the interviewees who participated in the study. They provided honest and thoughtful answers to the questions asked during the interviews and they courteously gave their time to participate and willingly shared their knowledge and experience of the subject matter. Words cannot express my deep gratitude and appreciation to my wife, Karen for her wonderful support over the years. Karen’s encouragement and her continual and unconditional support during the many difficult periods have made it all worthwhile. Without Karen this thesis would never have come to fruition. I could not have done half the things in my life without her love and belief in me. I also give a big thank you to my beautiful daughter Georgia who was 7 years of age when I commenced this project and is now only a short step away from commencing a tertiary education herself. Georgia, I hope that my studies model for you how important it is to continue to develop a love of learning and abiding passion for ideas that remain to be explored. This thesis would not have been possible without the kind support of my work colleagues, particularly Chris Applebee, Yim Chan, and Susan Hungar who took a keen interest in my research, shared with me their valuable insights, resources, wisdom, time, energy and support. A special thanks to Michael Wall for proof reading and offering editorial advice. I am also grateful to the University of NSW’s post-graduate research program for the opportunity to present my research at a conference in New York in 2009. Last but not the least, I’d like to dedicate this thesis to my mother, Rachele, who has been a source of strength and inspiration to me in achieving my ultimate goal in my education. A very intelligent woman, having only completed 3 years of schooling in a small mountain village in Italy, she always encouraged me to value learning and I know she is extremely proud that I have completed a PhD. ABSTRACT This thesis explores the roles, influence and accountability of ministerial advisers in the New South Wales (NSW) political system with a focus on developments during the Greiner/Fahey and Carr Governments. Important normative concerns are raised about advisers' functions, their power and influence, the legal and ethical framework in which they operate, and their involvement in managing interactions between ministers and the permanent public service. Much of the Australian research on advisers has focused on developments at the federal level with little attention being paid to political staffing arrangements in state jurisdictions. This thesis contributes to scant knowledge about advisers by focusing on the developments of political staffing in NSW. A grounded-theory based methodology is used on data collected from 23 interviews with advisers, ministers, government officials, and interest group representatives. Interpretivism was chosen as the principal research paradigm for eliciting an understanding

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