Monday, February 14, 2011

Liberals falling into the same traps as Labor ?

It frightening to hear Ted failing to talk differently from Labor about health reforms after his trip to Canberra . His new government have to chance to tweek the system and should keep saying SO.   Ted's rhetoric on performance assessment was tired and old reflecting the bad old days of Kennett where numbers were the things that told the essential truths of performance .The bad old days when polys thought accountants knew everything and trained public servants knew nothing .When good doctors and nurses left in disgust - still a risk !
If Libs can't get the idea they need to rebuild the public service( and stop slagging it )  they will too go the way of Labor - incompetenet advice and competent people abandoning the system - Ted would do well to say for eg "  Public service a good place for good people to work " and Make it real ! !) Take those desperate nurses and teachers " we need you " ads that Labor produced to try and redeem the damage of early retirees from accountancy driven performance measure simplicities .
Ted had a great opportunity to sell QUALITY  performance review but he blew it by talking QUANTITY REVIEW . He could have said ( to Neil Mitchell) "Sure more  bureaubrats is a risk BUT "our input to the process WILL BE to restore the role of PROFESSIONAL  REVIEW ( doctors and nurses etc) not the role of mere accountants and ledger driven specialists. This what Victoria's new goverenment will do " .

Less talk of " we know we need to listen " and more "we have heard  and we are prepared to make the tough decisions" ( before the next election looms ) to prevent fourth tiers of government from building - Instead of adding like Julia has with fey( old NSW man)  - a new fourth tier .  " MY MINISTERS  WILL hold agencies to account directly for what they are doing " .Now you are really talking !
No poly ever admits it , but being in government is plain hard work - because THE SOLUTIONS are specific ( have to be able to control the bureau and who better to control the bureau than old bureaucrats)  and require sound public service ( not consultancy )advice). Years of opposition won't generate off the shelf magic puddings to replace the white elephants of the past ( after all the white elphants like MYKI smart meters and Desal plants ). The devil is still present . and its in the detail and the dumb assumptions hidden inside it .