Victoria’s public service has a concerning trend of politicisation and a culture of fear, a report has revealed.
On Dec. 6, Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass presented her second report on the claimed “politicisation” of the state’s public sector.
The inquiry, focused on the second term of the Daniel Andrews Labor government, stemmed from a Legislative Council motion alleging improper political influence in the public service.
The investigation didn’t find proof that ALP members filled the public service, but it did uncover other types of politicisation, like sidelining non-political voices.
Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass said “creeping politicisation” is a reality in Victoria and requires urgent attention.
“Politicisation can take many forms. It is not just the hiring of people with political affiliations. It is also the closing down or marginalisation of apolitical, independent voices,” she said.
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The report found a weakening of a fundamental Westminster principle: a neutral public service that serves the current government while offering “frank and fearless” advice.
An example of this was the early assessment of the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL).
A former ministerial staffer at Development Victoria came up with the idea for the 90 km underground railway line from Cheltenham in the south-east to Werribee in the south-west via Melbourne Airport.
Ms. Glass said the project was subject to “excessive secrecy” and “proved up” by consultants rather than developed by public servants.
“Its announcement ‘blindsided’ the agency set up by the same government to remove short-term politics from infrastructure planning,” she added.
She said that the insufficient examination of such projects in the public sector before their announcement presents clear risks to public funds.
The report also reflected weakened trust in the public sector’s merit-based senior hiring decisions because open and advertised processes are often bypassed.
There were regular direct appointments of former ministerial staffers, hurried and substandard recruitment practices, inadequate record-keeping, and unclear selection methods.
“Perception matters. Not only must merit selection be done, it must be seen to be done. Disregarding this principle makes it less likely that the public sector will attract and retain capable leaders,” Ms. Glass said.
She added the quality and honesty of advice used for crucial decisions would otherwise decline, affecting confidence in the strict neutrality of the public service.
“Confidence in the strict neutrality of public service will be shaken,” she explained.
Further, concerns were raised about the Premier’s private office gaining more influence, which was seen as a worrying concentration of decision-making outside specialised departments.
“In 2022, the Victorian Premier had roughly as many staffers as the Australian Prime Minister and New South Wales Premier combined,” Ms. Glass said.
It comes as public servants were reluctant to share their input into the investigation because they feared that speaking up and being recognised could harm their careers.
“Whatever the truth of the question at the heart of this investigation, that so many people were concerned and fearful should signal to this government that all is not well. A culture of fear in the upper echelons of the public sector does not support frank and fearless advice,” Ms. Glass said.
As a result, the report outlined four critical areas needing improvement, including eight suggestions designed to strengthen the independence of the public service and give job security to executives, enabling them to speak out when required.
One key proposal is to appoint a public service head instead of the premier as the employer of department secretaries and administrative office heads.
Other recommendations involve tightening rules on direct appointments for senior roles and reducing unnecessary secrecy in Cabinet to align with standards in other regions.
“Our recommendations speak to the need for greater independence in appointing public officials and improved security against ‘at will’ termination to mitigate the fear of speaking out. But nothing will change without a recognition at the highest levels of government that change is necessary,” Ms. Glass said.
Greens: Labor’s Privatisation Hurting Everyday Victorians
The Australian Greens support all four of the Ombudsman’s main recommendations.Victorian Greens integrity spokesperson Dr. Tim Read said Labor has been giving Victoria’s public sector to private companies for a while, and everyday Victorians are paying the price, literally and figuratively.
“When the public sector is politicised and gutted of independence and expertise, we get poorer government policies and services and more waste,” he explained.
He said giving senior public servants greater independence and job security is essential, which enables them to critique misguided policies.
“We also need enforceable laws that stop the revolving door between MPs, advisers, and lobbyists, and a state government that is genuinely committed to parliamentary accountability and Westminster conventions,” he said.
Backlash Emerges
Despite some support, there was sound backlash for Labor’s political management of the Suburban Rail Loop—the most expensive project in Victoria’s history.Shadow Minister for Transport Infrastructure, David Southwick, said the Ombudsman’s report had cast doubt over the value of future projects, like the government’s potential multi-billion-dollar tunnel contracts before Christmas.
“While Victorians are doing it tough in a cost-of-living crisis, Labor is spending up to $200 billion on a project that several independent experts believe doesn’t stack up,” he said.
“The Premier should not sign a single contract and lock Victorians in for a decade’s worth of infrastructure funding until Infrastructure Victoria independently assesses the SRL.”
Treasurer Tim Pallas also pointed out that no inappropriate appointment was found in the examination.
He also disagreed with the Ombudsman’s description of the culture during the Andrews government.
“I’ve never been engaged in a process with a public servant where they haven’t felt frank and fearless, sometimes a little too frank on occasion,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
“This suggestion that there is a culture of fear could not be further from the truth,” he said.
