The New Rudd Government: New Style, So Far
May 2008
A new government: new strength to some departments
Since the change in government in November 2007, there have been clear changes from the style of the Howard government (such as the re-empowerment of Treasury and Finance and the weakening - so far - of the Prime Minister's own department, especially in relation to the focal influence of the Prime Minister's Office).
One clear example is the public freedom of the Secretary of the Treasury, Ken Henry, to comment on economic management and social policy issues in a way not permitted of the Treasury by the previous government.
A different policy terrain
There is evidence of a 'new political style' from the ALP government which is changing the nature of the political and policy institutions with which industry and NGOs must deal.
There are more than seven Council of Australian Governments working groups, dozens of review bodies and advisory groups - akin to a parallel government. For example, there is an IT expert panel of six, including Secretary of the Treasury and a special advisory committee on superannuation to meet three times per year which undercuts the special place of a number of industry bodies as established sources of information and influence. This opens new opportunities for access and influence.
Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs, Martin Ferguson, says "we would always seek to have the broadest representation in any national committees established." (The Australian, 11 March, p1) which has worries lobby groups by diluting their previous influence though expanding the government's range of policy contacts.
So far the government has been emphasising ideas, policy and as yet unresolved concerns about service and program delivery. It does not appear focused on economic management or dealing with players in the political system.
The states, for their part, are important in Australia's political life, but for the Rudd government they are resources to use to achieve common national interests defined and driven by Canberra. The states will still need to live up to Federal service delivery expectations to earn performance bonus payments for progress on national issues.
Policy themes and new coalitions
The government has a focus on four policy themes:
- energy
- land and water
- indigenous affairs
- productivity
These are mostly a re-crafting of existing policy issues and are not new developments. (Despite Treasury raising some these issues in 2004 Budget Intergenerational Report, little developed at that time.)
However, by raising these matters, the government has indeed forced consideration of new alliances between lobby groups and other policy players.
Organisations which seek to influence government will need to identify, read and use these new relationships as part of their lobbying strategies.
Place this new operating environment against the manner of the previous government – formulaic, tired, episodic policy interventions, cash for co-operation style - and it is likely some substantive new policy directions may yet emerge.
Remedial work on particular issues which have caught attention such as binge drinking are, in the policy sense for the nation, small beer.
Consultation and capture
The Government seems to use a more public and deliberative approach to policy thinking (if not, in the end, its making) such as the 2020 Conference, regional meetings of community cabinets, MPs electorate studies on education and health needs even if (according to some participants, commentators and officials) these only offer the chance to make comments acceptable to the Prime Minister's Office and that of the Deputy Prime Minister.
The range of contact with the public on policy issues is creating management overheads for the public service in Canberra, largely because of the scale of activity and its currently broad if not unfocussed nature. Lethargy may soon take over and officials will regain their central role as the main channel of ideas to the government.
Comments on government practice
In March 2008, we surveyed leading participants in policy design about how they assessed the new government. They said:
- The new Government is enthusiastic, relatively open, fact driven and still learning
- A major rebalancing of the power within the policy process is underway and much of it could remain in place and influence not recovered by those which lost it
- the Government is re-engaging previously politically excluded lobbies into the policy process
- Several long standing policies are being undone (drought policy support, labour relations and previous bilateral approaches to trade may tip towards multilateral strategies to support export growth)
- Ministerial Councils have been weakening (prior to 2007, these Councils had a limited role of reporting back to the then Coalition government on Commonwealth policy implementation and specific program grant spending) and particularly so compared to the premier-driven Council of Australian Governments, COAG
- Government is fact finding and policy hunting at present, uses many sources and it has high quality standards (n.b. the investment in pre-work on costing and detailing policies for the early 2008 housing summit). This is testing lobby groups and testing advisers, some of whom have already left their Ministers
- The 13 May Budget will show how the Government will develop its philosophy guiding policy such as its material treatment of climate change issues following the largely symbolic signature in late 2007 of the Kyoto Agreement
- Some departments or functions within them have been weakened due to the policy refocus e.g. Tourism, Employment and Workplace Relations
- Other departments, that means officials, are increasing in influence especially where the number of junior Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries have fallen such as Agriculture
- Generally, the Government appears to have misgivings over Australian Public Service policy talent
- Government is focusing on its election commitments, most of which are in practice insubstantial e.g. Kyoto, grocery prices, petrol prices, fuel price watch scheme, computers for schools and where new directions in policy have resulted there have been problems
- Not all Government reviews will have equal impact; there are too many and some may not be particularly useful but they will take up resources and time of officials and Ministers
- But certain new bodies such as the Business Advisory Group and Skills Australia are reporting directly to the Deputy Prime Minister. The public service will take time to recapture the policy space taken up by these groups
- Even in late March Ministers were not ready for detailed or contentious meetings with lobby/interest groups. Lobbyists therefore are focusing on officials
- The public service will recapture from various new advisory bodies its gatekeeper role for the elected government in about 12-18 months but at present and, in general terms, the public service suffers from a perception within government that it lacks policy design capability required to effectively break from the past
Specialist effort required and a solution from PEAA
It is a period of opportunity for those seeking to influence the government's future agenda. However: movements of officials need to be tracked, new units and arrangements within the bureaucracy need to be located; the working style of new Ministers has to be interpreted and the objective goals of the government have to be predicted and acted upon.
PEAA's experience in policy design from within government and through its work lobbying for corporations, NGOs and community groups gives it a solid foundation to interpret the politics of the new government and design strategies to reach into and influence government itself.
To discuss how PEAA can assist your company, organisation or group, please contact Philip Eliason for a free initial discussion.
