Threatening corporate leaders with jail time over an accounting contrivance is part of a trend where the national parliament is becoming a theatre for showboating and mock outrage.
Within bureaucratic circles there has been increasing unease about the Senate committee system becoming what one mandarin this week described as “a showboating exercise for social media”.
At its July meeting, the secretaries’ board last year discussed the rising febrile nature of estimates hearings, the twice-yearly official review of government expenditures.
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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
