Don't Tell the Prime Minister (Scribe Short Books) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A sad commentary on accountability in the contemporary Australian Public Service. Using 'A Certain Maritime Incident' (the children overboard affair in November 2001) as a case study, this book raises a number of questions about the Australian political system.
How, for example, are ministers 'informed'? Should all advice be in writing? What records should be kept? What constitutes effective briefing? How strongly should officials insist that advice is acknowledged, even unwelcome advice? What is the role of ministerial staff?
These are issues not just for the Australian public administration: they are issues for all in public service.
Somewhere there is a balance between effective record keeping and responsiveness: the two cannot be mutually exclusive.
Sadly, though, reading this book would lead you to conclude that some senior managers - at least - think they are.
This is a short book (around 100 pages) but it raises some significant issues.
Highly recommended to all who care about some of the contemporary public sector issues.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith

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