The most disappointing part of the Victorian Ombudsman’s report on alleged politicisation of the public sector is the ‘nothing to see here’ response by the Secretary of the Premier’s Department, Jeremi Moule. Perhaps this is not surprising given Victoria, like so many other jurisdictions in recent years, has appointed someone closely associated with the First Minister and the current Government to head the First Minister’s Department and take on the formal role of head of the public service.

That alone gives weight to the Ombudsman’s first recommendation for a much more independent head of the public service.

While the Ombudsman, Deborah Glass, found no evidence of specific partisan appointments, she presented evidence of failures to adhere to proper ‘merit-based’ processes (and overuse of direct appointments without advertisement), the termination of current executives without cause (allowed by Victoria’s ‘at will’ employment contracts), the marginalisation of public service expertise and corporate knowledge and experience, excessive use of consultants, a culture of secrecy and failure to keep proper records, and the increasing growth and influence of the Premier’s Private Office (the Premier has almost as many political staff as the Prime Minister and NSW Premier combined). These provide good cause for the concerns and fears expressed by many witnesses (and the number of people who were afraid to speak to the Ombudsman), and the widespread perception of politicisation.

Politicisation ‘is not just the hiring of people with political affiliations. It is also the closing down of apolitical independent voices’, the report rightly argues.

‘Creeping politicisation is a reality in Victoria, and requires urgent attention’, she says. ‘A culture of fear in the upper echelons of the public sector does not support frank and fearless advice’.

The report’s findings and recommendations resonate with those of recent reviews and inquiries in other Australian jurisdictions relating to both Coalition and Labor governments. These include the Thodey review and the Robodebt Royal Commission at the Commonwealth level, the Coaldrake review in........

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