LETTER from CANBERRA Saving You Time

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

LETTER from CANBERRA Saving You Time LETTER FROM CANBERRA Saving you time. Three years on. After Letter from Melbourne, established 1994. LETTER A monthly newsletter distilling public policy FROM and government decisions which CANBERRA affect business opportunities in Australia and beyond. Saving you time. Three years on. After Letter from Melbourne, established 1994. A monthly newsletter distilling public policy and government decisions which affect business opportunities in Australia and beyond. My Country MyThe Countrylove of field and coppice, Of green and shaded lanes. TheOf ordered love of woodsfield and and coppice, gardens OfIs running green and in your shaded veins, lanes. OfStrong ordered love woodsof grey-blue and gardens distance IsBrown running streams in your and veins, soft dim skies StrongI know butlove cannot of grey-blue share distanceit, BrownMy love streams is otherwise. and soft dim skies I know but cannot share it, Warm Up Edition MyI love love a sunburntis otherwise. country, 19 December to 28 February 2011 A land of sweeping plains, Warm Up Edition IOf love ragged a sunburnt mountain country, ranges, 19Issue December 31 to 28 February 2011 AOf land droughts of sweeping and flooding plains, rains. OfI love ragged her far mountain horizons, ranges, IssueInside 31 OfI love droughts her jewel-sea, and flooding rains. • Flood levy proceeding IHer love beauty her far and horizons, her terror - Inside• Prime Minister seeking to better IThe love wide her jewel-sea,brown land for me! • Floodrepresent levy Australia(ns)proceeding Her beauty and her terror - • PrimeHer agenda Minister and seeking challenges to better TheA stark wide white brown ring-barked land for forestme! • Arepresent more federated Australia(ns) health system All tragic to the moon, • CarbonHer agenda tax/cap/trade and challenges fullish speed AThe stark sapphire-misted white ring-barked mountains, forest • Aahead more federated health system AllThe tragic hot gold to the hush moon, of noon. • CarbonBroadband tax/cap/trade (debate) continues fullish speed to TheGreen sapphire-misted tangle of the brushes, mountains, aheadunravel TheWhere hot lithe gold lianas hush coil,of noon. • BroadbandM for Multiculturalism (debate) continues finessing to GreenAnd orchids tangle deck of the the brushes, tree-tops • unravelImmigration debate WhereAnd ferns lithe the lianas warm coil, dark soil. • MRefugee for Multiculturalism funeral costs finessingdebate And orchids deck the tree-tops • Immigration(Federal) Labor debate Party review AndCore ferns of my the heart, warm my dark country! soil. • Refugeechallenges funeral costs debate Her pitiless blue sky, • (Federal)Road freight Labor review Party review CoreWhen of sick my atheart, heart, my around country! us, • challengesReith prompts industrial relations HerWe seepitiless the bluecattle sky, die - • RoadOpposition freight internal review tiffs WhenBut then sick the at greyheart, clouds around gather, us, • ReithBank promptsreform soundings industrial relations WeAnd see we thecan cattlebless dieagain - • OppositionMining taxes internal unresolved tiffs ButThe thendrumming the grey of cloudsan army, gather, • Bank reform soundings AndThe steady,we can soakingbless again rain. • Mining taxes unresolved The drumming of an army, TheCore steady, of my heart,soaking my rain. country! PLUS... pages 11 - 14 Land of the Rainbow Gold, Latest Roy Morgan findingsPLUS... For flood and fire and famine, Global Warming & Leaders Core of my heart, my country! Roy Morgan Research insert, pp11-14 LandShe pays of the us Rainbow back threefold Gold, - PLUS... ForOver flood the thirsty and firepaddocks, and famine, Roy Morgan Research insert, pp11-14 SheWatch, pays after us manyback threefolddays, - OverThe filmy the thirsty veil of paddocks, greenness Watch,That thickens after many as we days, gaze. The filmy veil of greenness ThatAn opal-hearted thickens as wecountry, gaze. A wilful, lavish land - AnAll youopal-hearted who have country, not loved her, AYou wilful, will notlavish understand land - - AllThough you who earth have holds not many loved splendours, her, YouWherever will not I mayunderstand die, - ThoughI know to earth what holds brown many country splendours, WhereverMy homing I maythoughts die, will fly. I know to what brown country MyDorothea homing Mackellar thoughts will fly. Dorothea Mackellar Dorothea Mackellar dressed as one of the Graces for Mrs T.H. Kelly’s Italian Red Cross Day tableaux at the Palace Theatre, 20 June 1918... more information in our editorial Dorothea Mackellar dressed as one of the Graces for Mrs T.H. Kelly’s Italian Red Cross Day tableaux at the Palace Theatre, 20 June 1918... more information in our editorial 19 DECEMBER 2010 to 28 FEBRUARY 2011 14 Collins Street ABOUT THE EDITOR ALISTAIR URQUHART Melbourne, 3000 Alistair Urquhart graduated from the Australian National University in Canberra, in Law, History and Politics, was Victoria, Australia admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria, and remains a (non-practicing) member of P 03 9654 1300 the Law Institute of Victoria. Before that, he graduated from high school in Bethesda, Maryland, and had many F 03 9654 1165 opportunities to become aware of the workings of Washington DC. For 30 years, he listened every Sunday evening [email protected] to the late Alistair Cooke and his Letter From America. www.letterromcanberra.com.au His early career was mostly in the coal industry, where he became involved with energy, environmental and water Editor Alistair Urquhart issues, and later in the SME finance sector. His public affairs firm works with many engineering and information Associate Editor Gabriel Phipps technology firms, other professional association and industry groups, on a wide range of issues, in Victoria, Canberra Subscription Manager Juliette Biegler and overseas. Urquhart visits Canberra regularly. He may hold the record for miles rowed on Lake Burley Griffin. Advertising Manager Eddie Mior Editorial Consultant Rick Brown Design Richard Hamilton Editorial A challenging year for many leaders, and others Steph Dang Welcome to our first edition for the year. It covers from the end of 2010 and January and February. We will bring Letter from Canberra is focused on the interface you ten monthly issues before Christmas. It will be a busy year for our readers. For new readers, our methodology of business and government, with enough politics includes marking up several papers each day, including The Age, The Financial Review and The Australian, plus all and bureaucracy to understand the, or any, types of other material that comes into our office with ‘a government link’. relevant business opportunities. We have been publishing Letter from Canberra’s We started this magazine three years ago with the election/early days of new prime minister Kevin Rudd. The sister publication Letter From Melbourne, a then centralising national focus of our nation is shifting back, a bit, to a more federation approach as more public policy digest, for 16 years. Commencing Liberal/National Party governments appear. with the Kennett era corporatisation and privatisation of energy and other utilities and We have not yet opened up a betting shop as to what might, or might not, happen to the wide range of opportunities the other fresh broom approach of a new for policies and prime ministers during the year. government, where we focused on business opportunities. Increasingly, we included matters In the world of industrial relations, ‘things’ are warming up, both on the ground where people actually work in the other states and adopted a more federal (unions/their members/employers/employer associations) and also in parliament where the IR debate will get focus. nasty, recently prompted by former industrial relations minister in the Howard government Peter Reith. Opposition The recent change in federal government opens leader Tony Abbott has said, no way back. Just like the prime minister said no way forward on a carbon tax in up new business opportunities, particularly the this parliament. Times change. government’s new emphasis on climate change, carbon trading, water, industrial relations, Our media is using its muscle to become even more important in the world of politics, and our lives. Many of us education, information technology and the have views as to when and whether they or some or which of them do a fair job. No doubt the Channel 7 reporter traditional sectors. Mark Riley showed his trade at one of its low points as he made to suggest that Tony Abbott was not concerned For many years, our other publications have about a dead Australian soldier. included the well-known federal government Departmental Wall Chart. (NOW AVAILABLE at 03 Our cover. If not directly affected by the weather that mother nature provided over the past two 96541300 or letterfrommelbourne.com.au)) We months, we have all had good reason to reflect. We covered this sense in our recent Letter From conduct seminars and informal luncheons and Melbourne. How modern technology and planning and regulations are no match for the strength of meetings in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. nature. Perhaps it made us reflect back in time, when a larger percentage of Australians lived in the Most people have their clipping services and a bush, and were often more immediately effected by the natural environment. It made the editor muse range of email products/newsletters/etc. At the on Dorothea Mackellar’s poem, which we have included in full, particularly to give perspective of the end of the month, Letter From Canberra gives a second verse that so many of us do know. And now the sad events in New Zealand. broad overview of what has been going on, not just in one industry but across all industries and Isabel Marion Dorothea Mackellar, OBE, 1885 to 1968, Sydney-born, Australian poet and fiction the world of business and government generally. writer. Her best-known poem, My Country, written at age 19 while homesick in England, was first Objective. Independent. Read it on the plane. Or at published in the London Spectator in 1908.
Recommended publications
  • Australia Is Awash with Political Memoir, but Only Some Will Survive the Flood
    Australia is awash with political memoir, but only some will survive the... https://theconversation.com/australia-is-awash-with-political-memoir-b... Academic rigour, journalistic flair September 9, 2015 8.51am AEST For publishers, Australian political memoir or biography is likely to pay its own way, at the very least. AAP Image/Lukas Coch September 9, 2015 8.51am AEST Last year more than a dozen political memoirs were published in Australia. From Bob Author Carr’s Diary of a Foreign Minister to Greg Combet’s The Fights of My Life, from Rob Oakeshott’s The Independent Member for Lyne to Bob Brown’s Optimism, one could be forgiven for thinking Australia is a nation of political junkies. Jane Messer Or that we’re fascinated by the personalities, policies and procedures that shape our Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, political landscape. But are we really, and if not, why so many books? Macquarie University The deluge shows no signs of abating, with a similar number of titles expected this year. Already we’ve seen the release of Shadow Minister Chris Bowen’s The Money Men, reflections by Federal Labor members Mark Butler and Andrew Leigh, with former Victorian Labor leader John Brumby’s practical “lessons”, The Long Haul, in press. Liberals, once laggards in this genre, are stepping up in growing numbers. Federal Minister Christopher Pyne’s “hilarious” A Letter To My Children is out, and Peter Reith’s The Reith Papers is underway. Also in press is the genuinely unauthorised Born to Rule: the Unauthorised Biography of Malcolm Turnbull.
    [Show full text]
  • 2009 Annual Report
    2009 Annual Report Contents Contents .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Mark Lennon Secretary’s Report ............................................................................................................ 7 Trades Hall .......................................................................................................................................... 8 Finances .............................................................................................................................................. 9 Management Account .................................................................................................................... 9 Property Account ........................................................................................................................... 9 Currawong ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Wireless Committee ....................................................................................................................... 9 Trades Hall ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Thank You to Officers & Staff ............................................................................................................. 9 Chris Christodoulou Assistant Secretary ..............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Howard Government Retrospective II
    Howard Government Retrospective II “To the brink: 1997 - 2001” Articles by Professor Tom Frame 14 - 15 November 2017 Howard Government Retrospective II The First and Second Howard Governments Initial appraisals and assessments Professor Tom Frame Introduction I have reviewed two contemporaneous treatments Preamble of the first Howard Government. Unlike other Members of the Coalition parties frequently complain retrospectives, these two works focussed entirely on that academics and journalists write more books about the years 1996-1998. One was published in 1997 the Australian Labor Party (ALP) than about Liberal- and marked the first anniversary of the Coalition’s National governments and their leaders. For instance, election victory. The other was published in early three biographical studies had been written about Mark 2000 when the consequences of some first term Latham who was the Opposition leader for a mere decisions and policies were becoming a little clearer. fourteen months (December 2003 to February 2005) Both books are collections of essays that originated when only one book had appeared about John Howard in university faculties and concentrated on questions and he had been prime minister for nearly a decade. of public administration. The contributions to both Certainly, publishers believe that books about the Labor volumes are notable for the consistency of their tone Party (past and present) are usually more successful and tenor. They are not partisan works although there commercially than works on the Coalition parties. The is more than a hint of suspicion that the Coalition sales figures would seem to suggest that history and was tampering with the institutions that undergirded ideas mean more to some Labor followers than to public authority and democratic government in Coalition supporters or to Australian readers generally.
    [Show full text]
  • Report: Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment
    COALITION SENATORS' DISSENTING REPORT 1.1 Coalition Senators are disappointed that this Private Senators Bill did not have a full and detailed inquiry and note that there was not even a hearing into this Bill. 1.2 Coalition Senators welcome the broad community consensus for this Bill including from one of Australia’s most prominent union bosses Mr Paul Howes of the Australian Workers Union: UNION leader Paul Howes has backed the Coalition's plan to toughen penalties for union bosses who misuse members' funds, declaring he has no issue with moves to impose similar punishments to those faced by company directors. … “I actually believe there is a higher responsibility for us as guardians of workers' money to protect that money and to act diligently and honestly,” Mr Howes told the ABC. “The reality is I do not have any issue with increasing the level of requirements and penalties on trade unions for breaching basic ethics like misappropriation of funds.1 1.3 However, Coalition Senators are not surprised that many submitters to the inquiry did not emphatically support the proposed Bill given many submitters are themselves, or represent, registered organisations. 1.4 This Bill is not designed to benefit registered organisations but to act in the national interest and in the interests of individual members of registered organisations. 1.5 From the outset, Coalition Senators reject assertions, including from Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten, that: It is not good enough that the only things they’ve announced in workplace relations is union baiting and union bigotry. It is not enough for them to smear everyone in the union movement with the actions of a few and say, therefore, all unions are the same.2 1.6 Coalition Senators firmly believe that unions and employer organisations have an important role in the community.
    [Show full text]
  • Ministerial Staff Under the Howard Government: Problem, Solution Or Black Hole?
    Ministerial Staff Under the Howard Government: Problem, Solution or Black Hole? Author Tiernan, Anne-Maree Published 2005 Thesis Type Thesis (PhD Doctorate) School Department of Politics and Public Policy DOI https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/3587 Copyright Statement The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367746 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au Ministerial Staff under the Howard Government: Problem, Solution or Black Hole? Anne-Maree Tiernan BA (Australian National University) BComm (Hons) (Griffith University) Department of Politics and Public Policy, Griffith University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy November 2004 Abstract This thesis traces the development of the ministerial staffing system in Australian Commonwealth government from 1972 to the present. It explores four aspects of its contemporary operations that are potentially problematic. These are: the accountability of ministerial staff, their conduct and behaviour, the adequacy of current arrangements for managing and controlling the staff, and their fit within a Westminster-style political system. In the thirty years since its formal introduction by the Whitlam government, the ministerial staffing system has evolved to become a powerful new political institution within the Australian core executive. Its growing importance is reflected in the significant growth in ministerial staff numbers, in their increasing seniority and status, and in the progressive expansion of their role and influence. There is now broad acceptance that ministerial staff play necessary and legitimate roles, assisting overloaded ministers to cope with the unrelenting demands of their jobs. However, recent controversies involving ministerial staff indicate that concerns persist about their accountability, about their role and conduct, and about their impact on the system of advice and support to ministers and prime ministers.
    [Show full text]
  • Additional Estimates 2010-11
    Dinner on the occasion of the First Meeting of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament Kirribilli House, Kirribilli, Sydney Sunday, 19 October 2008 Host Mr Francois Heisbourg The Honourable Kevin Rudd MP Commissioner (France) Prime Minister Chairman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and Geneva Centre for Official Party Security Policy, Special Adviser at the The Honourable Gareth Evans AO QC Foundation pour la Recherche Strategique Co-Chair International Commission on Nuclear Non- General (Ret'd) Jehangir Karamat proliferation and Disarmament Commissioner (Pakistan) and President of the International Crisis Director, Spearhead Research Group Mrs Nilofar Karamat Ms Yoriko Kawaguchi General ((Ret'd) Klaus Naumann Co-Chair Commissioner (Germany) International Commission on Nuclear Non- Member of the International Advisory Board proliferation and Disarmament and member of the World Security Network Foundation of the House of Councillors and Chair of the Liberal Democratic Party Research Dr William Perry Commission on the Environment Commissioner (United States) Professor of Stanford University School of Mr Ali Alatas Engineering and Institute of International Commissioner (Indonesia) Studies Adviser and Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Indonesia Ambassador Wang Yingfan Mrs Junisa Alatas Commissioner (China) Formerly China's Vice Foreign Minister Dr Alexei Arbatov (1995-2000), China's Ambassador and Commissioner (Russia) Permanent Representative to the United Scholar-in-residence
    [Show full text]
  • DPM Teo Calls on Australian Prime Minister
    DPM Teo Calls on Australian Prime Minister 23 Nov 2010 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean calling on Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the Australian Parliament House. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean called on Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Canberra today. Both parties reaffirmed the close and broad-based bilateral relations between the two countries, of which the strong and long-standing defence ties are a key pillar. Their meeting also reinforced the political support from both countries for the extensive interactions and cooperation between both armed forces, including the ongoing cooperation in the multinational reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. During his working visit to Australia, Mr Teo also met with Defence Minister Stephen Smith, Minister for Foreign Affairs Kevin Rudd, Senator John Faulkner, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, Shadow Minister for Defence David Johnston, Special Minister of State for the Public Service and Integrity Gary Gray, Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development, Minister for Sport, and Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness Honourable Mark Arbib and Chief Government Whip Joel Fitzgibbon. At a joint press conference with Mr Smith yesterday, Mr Teo reiterated Singapore's appreciation of the strong and extensive defence relationship between Singapore and Australia. "We are very grateful for the opportunities that Australia has provided for Singapore to train here in Australia. It 1 has been a great help to us, our training in Shoalwater Bay as well as our flight training in Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Pearce in Perth. I have just visited both places and it is going very well, and we are very grateful for the cooperation," said Mr Teo.
    [Show full text]
  • Senate Official Hansard No
    COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES Senate Official Hansard No. 2, 2011 Wednesday, 2 March 2011 FORTY-THIRD PARLIAMENT FIRST SESSION—SECOND PERIOD BY AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE INTERNET The Journals for the Senate are available at http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/work/journals/index.htm Proof and Official Hansards for the House of Representatives, the Senate and committee hearings are available at http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard For searching purposes use http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au SITTING DAYS—2011 Month Date February 8, 9, 10, 28 March 1, 2, 3, 21, 22, 23, 24 May 10, 11, 12 June 14, 15, 16, 20, 21 22, 23 July 4, 5, 6, 7 August 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25 September 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22 October 11, 12, 13, 31 November 1, 2, 3, 21, 22, 23, 24 RADIO BROADCASTS Broadcasts of proceedings of the Parliament can be heard on ABC NewsRadio in the capital cities on: ADELAIDE 972AM BRISBANE 936AM CANBERRA 103.9FM DARWIN 102.5FM HOBART 747AM MELBOURNE 1026AM PERTH 585AM SYDNEY 630AM For information regarding frequencies in other locations please visit http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/listen/frequencies.htm FORTY-THIRD PARLIAMENT FIRST SESSION—SECOND PERIOD Governor-General Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, Companion of the Order of Australia Senate Officeholders President—Senator Hon. John Joseph Hogg Deputy President and Chair of Committees—Senator Hon. Alan Baird Ferguson Temporary Chairs of Committees—Senators Guy Barnett, Thomas Mark Bishop, Suzanne Kay Boyce, Patricia Margaret Crossin, Mary Jo Fisher, Michael George Forshaw, Annette Kay Hurley, Stephen Patrick Hutchins, Helen Evelyn Kroger, Scott Ludlam, Gavin Mark Marshall, Julian John James McGauran, Claire Mary Moore, Louise Clare Pratt, Hon.
    [Show full text]
  • The Foreign Minister Who Never Was
    The foreign minister who never was BY:DENNIS SHANAHAN, POLITICAL EDITOR The Australian March 02, 2012 12:00AM Cartoon by Peter Nicholson. Source: The Australian JULIA Gillard's ability to turn good news - a brilliant political strategy, a poignant moment, or an opportunity to become strong, credible and assertive - into bad news and dumb politics appears to be boundless. And, when the Prime Minister has a brain snap, makes an error of judgment or gets into trouble for a reflexive and ill-considered denial the finger is pointed towards staff, speech writers, the hate media, Tony Abbott, or most of all, Kevin Rudd. The mistakes she's admitted are those where she neglected to publicly apportion blame to Rudd as a dysfunctional, pathological leader, and this being the reason for her taking over as prime minister in June 2010. On Monday morning, after three politically debilitating months of unforced errors, media disasters and a destabilising campaign to gather support for a Rudd leadership challenge, Gillard was finally in the clear. After a brilliant political strategy to force Rudd's hand early, at least two weeks before he was prepared to go, Gillard was able to crush him in the Labor caucus ballot 71 to 31 votes. Although there was a strong element of voting against Rudd rather than for Gillard in the ballot, it saw off Rudd's chances for this parliamentary term at least and gave Labor a chance to regather its thoughts and try to redeem a seemingly hopeless position. Gillard set out her intentions, addressing the public: "I can assure you that this political drama is over and now you are back at centre stage where you should properly be and you will be the focus of all of our efforts." On the issue of reshuffling her ministry and whether she would be punishing Rudd supporters, Gillard declared: "My focus will be on having a team based on merit and the ability to take the fight up on behalf of Labor to our conservative opponents.
    [Show full text]
  • Ministerial Careers and Accountability in the Australian Commonwealth Government / Edited by Keith Dowding and Chris Lewis
    AND MINISTERIAL CAREERS ACCOUNTABILITYIN THE AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT AND MINISTERIAL CAREERS ACCOUNTABILITYIN THE AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT Edited by Keith Dowding and Chris Lewis Published by ANU E Press The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200, Australia Email: [email protected] This title is also available online at http://epress.anu.edu.au National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Title: Ministerial careers and accountability in the Australian Commonwealth government / edited by Keith Dowding and Chris Lewis. ISBN: 9781922144003 (pbk.) 9781922144010 (ebook) Series: ANZSOG series Notes: Includes bibliographical references. Subjects: Politicians--Australia. Politicians--Australia--Ethical behavior. Political ethics--Australia. Politicians--Australia--Public opinion. Australia--Politics and government. Australia--Politics and government--Public opinion. Other Authors/Contributors: Dowding, Keith M. Lewis, Chris. Dewey Number: 324.220994 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design and layout by ANU E Press Printed by Griffin Press This edition © 2012 ANU E Press Contents 1. Hiring, Firing, Roles and Responsibilities. 1 Keith Dowding and Chris Lewis 2. Ministers as Ministries and the Logic of their Collective Action . 15 John Wanna 3. Predicting Cabinet Ministers: A psychological approach ..... 35 Michael Dalvean 4. Democratic Ambivalence? Ministerial attitudes to party and parliamentary scrutiny ........................... 67 James Walter 5. Ministerial Accountability to Parliament ................ 95 Phil Larkin 6. The Pattern of Forced Exits from the Ministry ........... 115 Keith Dowding, Chris Lewis and Adam Packer 7. Ministers and Scandals .........................
    [Show full text]
  • Howard's Decade
    Lowy Institute Paper 15 howard’s decade AN AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN POLICY REAPPRAISAL Paul Kelly Lowy Institute Paper 15 howard’s decade AN AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN POLICY REAPPRAISAL Paul Kelly First published for Lowy Institute for International Policy 2006 PO Box 102 Double Bay New South Wales 2028 Australia www.longmedia.com.au [email protected] Tel. (+61 2) 9362 8441 Lowy Institute for International Policy © 2006 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part Paul Kelly is Editor-at-Large of The Australian. He was of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (including but not limited to electronic, previously Editor-in-Chief of The Australian. He writes mechanical, photocopying, or recording), without the prior written permission of the on Australian and international issues and is a regular copyright owner. commentator on ABC television. Paul holds a Doctor of Letters from the University of Cover design by Holy Cow! Design & Advertising Melbourne and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Printed and bound in Australia Typeset by Longueville Media in Esprit Book 10/13 Sydney. He has honorary doctorates from the University of New South Wales and from Griffi th University, and is National Library of Australia a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. Cataloguing-in-Publication data He has been a Shorenstein Fellow at the Kennedy School at Harvard University and a visiting lecturer at the Kelly, Paul, 1947- . Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ministry of Public Input
    The Ministry of Public Input: Report and Recommendations for Practice By Associate Professor Jennifer Lees-Marshment The University of Auckland, New Zealand August 2014 www.lees-marshment.org [email protected] Executive Summary Political leadership is undergoing a profound evolution that changes the role that politicians and the public play in decision making in democracy. Rather than simply waiting for voters to exercise their judgement in elections, political elites now use an increasingly varied range of public input mechanisms including consultation, deliberation, informal meetings, travels out in the field, visits to the frontline and market research to obtain feedback before and after they are elected. Whilst politicians have always solicited public opinion in one form or another, the nature, scale, and purpose of mechanisms that seek citizen involvement in policy making are becoming more diversified and extensive. Government ministers collect different forms of public input at all levels of government, across departments and through their own offices at all stages of the policy process. This expansion and diversification of public input informs and influences our leaders’ decisions, and thus has the potential to strengthen citizen voices within the political system, improve policy outcomes and enhance democracy. However current practice wastes both resources and the hope that public input can enrich democracy. If all the individual public input activities government currently engages in were collated and added up it would demonstrate that a vast amount of money and resources is already spent seeking views from outside government. But it often goes unseen, is uncoordinated, dispersed and unchecked. We need to find a way to ensure this money is spent much more effectively within the realities of government and leadership.
    [Show full text]