Labor’s green superpower plan will need a new public service
Expertise in green hydrogen, photonic quantum physics, large-scale lithium batteries, and next-generation mineralogy are not skills you typically see on Canberra CVs.
Canberra’s pivot into activist industry and energy policy, and hands-on oversight of the digital economy, will need a serious uplift of business development and operational capability in the federal public sector.
After a generation of getting out of direct market-facing activity and privatisations, departments and agencies lack the depth of business smarts and commercial wisdom to design, build, and oversee these significant investments if the Future Made In Australia program is not to end up being a giant boondoggle.
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Tom Burton has held senior editorial and publishing roles with The Mandarin, The Sydney Morning Herald and as Canberra bureau chief for The Australian Financial Review. He has won three Walkley awards. Connect with Tom on Twitter. Email Tom at tom.burton@afr.com
