The French Philosopher Voltaire was born in 1694 and came up with ideas about freedom of speech, tolerance, reason, and freedom of religious belief. He fought to make sure people were tolerant and accepted everyone as they were. Voltaire it seems did not want individuals who were different to be persecuted. He also believed that there […]

Does anyone remember an occasion when there was so much attention given to NOT renewing the employment contract of a senior public servant? Dr Philip Lowe, Governor of the Reserve Bank, will complete his term on the 17th of September this year, following an extraordinary period of public media reporting and political speculation.   For most of […]

August is shaping up to be a fiery month for Queensland Parliament, with two weeks of Budget Estimates Hearings ahead of sittings resuming next week, providing a tangible opportunity for the Opposition to get departmental data from critical areas such as housing and health.  The context for these sitting-weeks includes the AFR’s reporting of a state […]

A quick google of the word integrity comes up with 5 personal attributes: values-focused, honest, considerate, exemplary character, and accountable.   Does integrity matter in public administration? You bet!  The very covenant that solidifies our trust in the Westminster System has been sorely tested by the damning findings from the Royal Commission’s investigation into the Robodebt […]

Facts matter and the truth can hurt, but that shouldn’t stop individuals, leaders, businesses and institutions from dealing with the realities of life. As Homo sapiens (Latin ‘wise human’), our big brains enable us to think and feel at greater depth than any other animal.  Humankind has achieved extraordinary highs and abominable lows, but the impact of technology […]

Opportunities in business – or in life, for that matter – rarely come along at the perfect time, or in the perfect form. The greatest success stories – such as the chance discovery of penicillin or the accidental invention of removable “post-it” notes – are often completely unplanned. This can also be true of securing […]

For a communications professional, there is possibly no harder assignment than an organisation with a strong risk-averse culture. Sticking to stringent policies and procedures is the only way to ensure an outcome. There is a right way of doing things, and there’s a wrong way. Unfortunately, the environment that external communications professionals operate in is […]

The end of 2022 was a goldmine for political enthusiasts as three key reviews of the 2022 Federal Election were released. The first was the independent study conducted by the Australian National University and the other two were the Labor and Liberal reviews respectively. In total, I have scanned through 325 pages of research and […]

During a crisis the world is turned upside down and normal rules don’t apply.