Shannon Deery: Why public service probe may spell trouble for Daniel Andrews

A probe into claims Victoria’s public service has been stacked with government cronies could be hugely embarrassing and problematic for Daniel Andrews.

An investigation into the politicisation of the public service couldn’t come at a worse time for the Andrews government.

While the government is sure not to be outwardly concerned, it would of course rather avoid a potentially damning investigation in an election year.

The investigation set to be launched by Ombudsman Deborah Glass could very realistically be her biggest probe to date simply by way of the sheer scale of the claims.

She has been asked by the Victorian parliament to look into claims the public service has been stacked with government cronies.

The investigation set to be launched by Ombudsman Deborah Glass could very realistically be her biggest probe to date.

It could be hugely embarrassing and problematic for the government, and could claim her biggest scalps to date.

Of course it could all amount to nothing. But where there’s smoke there’s generally fire, and the politicisation of the public service is no new phenomenon.

It’s certainly worsened and become more brazen in recent decades, but it’s nothing new.

As far back as the 1980s the lack of neutrality of the public service was being lamented.

Former Australian public service commissioner Lynelle Briggs, in 2009, said she believed some public servants felt pressure to work to further a government’s political interests.

The accusation of stacking politically like-minded public servants in key roles has been levelled at both sides of politics, which means this investigation could serve as an own goal for the state opposition, too. But critics of Daniel Andrews argue that under his administration things have gone next level.

The Labor leader has both massively increased the size of the public sector, and paid them better, since coming to power in 2014.

The number of public service executives has swelled from 647 in June 2014 to 1742 in June 2021, according to the Victorian Public Sector Commission.

Critics of Daniel Andrews say under his administration things have gone next level. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The 170 per cent jump stands in stark contrast to a 60 per cent increase in the wider public service workforce, which weighed in at 58,444 in June.

Highly paid executives – the median pay packet stands at $240,789 a year – now make up 3 per cent of the public service workforce, up from 1.8 per cent in June 2014.

And the number earning more than $500,000 – the Prime Minister earns $550,000 – has jumped from three to 25, or from 0.4 per cent of all executives to 1.4 per cent. Pay them well, keep them on side, perhaps.

A cursory glance at top jobs across various bodies gives the definite illusion that politics is most definitely at play.

Take the Suburban Rail Loop Authority. One senior executive formerly worked in the Premier’s media unit. Another worked as an adviser to the Premier. And another worked for Treasurer Tim Pallas.

Labor MP Katie Hall was working as the media manager for the North East Link Authority before she entered parliament. Picture: MP

Former ministerial staffers are littered throughout the public service, everywhere from the Department of Education to the Environment Protection Authority.

An international search for a chief of V/Line last year led to a former Labor political candidate with no transport industry experience being handed the top job. Matt Carrick, who was a factional operative during the Bracks/Brumby era and once challenged Labor powerbroker Alan Griffin in the seat of Bruce, was announced as the interim chief executive of the regional rail operator last year.

The appointment, quietly extended this year until 2026, was met with astonishment by industry insiders who warned the approval of serious transport and engineering requirements had enormous safety responsibilities.

Then there are those who come straight from the public service into parliament, and government.

Labor MP Katie Hall was working as the media manager for the North East Link Authority before she entered parliament.

Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation Minister Melissa Horne, an old mate of Andrews, was a director at the Level Crossing Removal Authority before her entry into parliament.

Sustainable Australia MP Clifford Hayes says a ‘growing autocracy’ is threatening Victoria. Picture: Ian Currie

Of course, you’d expect an exchange of traffic in both directions because of the skills and interests of the people concerned.

And it’s why there are codes of conduct in place intended to keep everything above board. But veteran Victorian public servants say such codes are increasingly ignored to further the political aims of the Andrews government.

They privately confide they work to please, or at the specific direction of, the government. Especially in an election year.

However, this enables the “growing autocracy” Sustainable Australia MP Clifford Hayes argued was threatening Victoria when he backed parliament’s referral to the Ombudsman.

“The increasing autocracy of this government is on display for all to see,” he said.

“We have seen it in the changes to planning laws, for instance Big Build projects running roughshod over local communities.

“And we saw it in the Suburban Rail Loop legislation last year, a prime example of the political public service advice resulting in legislation without a proper business case, which is really a planning power takeover for the property sector at the expense of local democracy.

“Whether it is for turning a blind eye to Crown casino or taking whopping donations from property developers, the major parties must be held to account,” he said.

Integrity in our public servants, and government, fosters integrity in our democratic system.

Independence and neutrality should be at the core of the public service. Without such independence, our confidence in its work is eroded.

Shannon Deery is Herald Sun state politics editor