Once again incompetence - as in ‘but this is how we do it’ - is claimed as defence against administering programs illegally, to the detriment of vulnerable people they are funded to serve.
Another manifestation of decades of toxic culture in the APS.
How might we protect against this? Here’s an idea.
Every public servant who is newly appointed or starting in a new position, plus every company contracted to administer government programs & every person they employ or contract to work on them, at every level, could be required to begin with the legislation & learn the purpose, authority & processes of the programs they are part of & must demonstrate understanding of same before they start the job.
I did this with every position I worked in during my decades in the APS, where I started as ‘ClerkClass1’. It meant that in every workplace I asked all the awkward questions that showed up gaps between what we were empowered to do & what was actually happening. I was not popular but this approach led to rapid promotion (until the questions became too uncomfortable under the privatisation agenda & consequent cultural changes inaugurated by JohnHoward, then it totally didn’t).
But then, as I realised only decades later, I am autistic😎.*
Maybe the public sector needs more of us.
*I don’t know Colleen Taylor, but with the greatest respect & appreciation I claim her as neurokin 🙏
#PublicSector #incompetence #ethics #RoboDebt #ActuallyAutistic
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-27/services-australia-knowingly-broke-law-for-years/106261814?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other
