Godwin Grech: an incomparable disaster for the public service
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Rarely, if ever, has there been an Australian public servant who was so far beyond any threshold of acceptable bureaucratic behaviour as Godwin Grech. There have been leakers, of course, both to the press and the Opposition (notwithstanding the old bureaucrat’s rule of thumb that you never leak to the Opposition, only to the media). There have been public servants who talked freely and in detail about confidential issues with non-APS people. There have even been public servants who thought they knew a thing or two about politics. But Grech was so far beyond the red line as to put him in a world of his own. The more one reads his statement to the Australian National Audit Office, the more astonished one becomes. Coupled with his revelations to The Australian about his dealings with the Opposition and the documents Malcolm Turnbull released yesterday, we can form an altogether different, and shocking, picture of a public servant who had gone rogue in a big way. Grech has maintained he was just an overworked public servant trying to get a valuable policy up and running for the good of Australia, who found himself misused by an Opposition desperate to score points off the Government. But the material released yesterday, and the inconsistency of his own statements, shows a different Godwin Grech — a man apparently determined to wreck the program he was implementing, and happy to cooperate closely with the Opposition to do so. The sheer enormity of a bureaucrat wording up the Opposition on what to ask at Estimates is staggering. I can only think of one previous instance that has been made public, and it didn’t involve providing actual questions. Public servants take pride in being as unhelpful as possible at Estimates. I know of a current senior public servant who is an active and dedicated ALP member, who enjoyed nothing more than running rings around Labor senators at Estimates when they were in Opposition. It’s part of the bureaucratic craft. But the array of questions Grech served up to Eric Abetz prior to Estimates hearings on 4 June only mention John Grant once. The bulk of Grech’s suggestions relate to the problems of the program — a peculiar thing for a man allegedly determined to get the program up and running at all costs. “How many car dealers have received assistance from the OzCar SPV that the PM and Treasurer so boastfully launched 6 months ago?” Answer: “None.” “Is it not the case that for OzCar to be viable, it needs to have finance providers sign up to participate? How many financiers have signed up?” Answer: “Yes; OzCar needs active finance providers to work. A major problems is that no finance companies … have actually signed up despite saying that they would. This is a major flaw that Swan and Rudd don’t understand.” On and on Grech goes. OzCar will lose money. The purpose of OzCar has fundamentally changed. “Rudd and Swan don’t understand the drivers.” (financial drivers, that is, not car drivers) Grech couldn’t possibly have thought this was contributing to the chances of passage of the OzCar bill — which the Opposition had already indicated it would support. It looks a lot more like deliberate sabotage. And Grech’s emailed advice to Turnbull is full of political tips, urging him to “dare” Swan to release material. “Swan is more exposed than Rudd.” “Perhaps we should talk to sort out next steps.” He later provides Question Time suggestions for Turnbull. Grech clearly thought he knew a thing or two about political strategy. In his statement to the ANAO he recounts how on 7 May he met the Prime Minister and a number of other people and told Rudd how helping out the unnamed and apparently suicidal “Dealer 7” would “present you, Prime Minister, with a good public relations opportunity.” No one allegedly involved in the discussion can remember that taking place except Grech, which gives a Walter Mitty-like aspect to his statement. But one of the first rules public servants learn is to leave politics to politicians and their staffers, who do it for a living. Another thing public servants learn is not to discuss your work outside the office if it is confidential. Yet Grech almost boasts to the ANAO of his “roadtesting” policy issues with former public servants, who formed a sort of miniature policy forum for Grech as he worked in Treasury on the Government’s response to the economic crisis last year. Treasury is conducting an investigation into whether Grech breached the Public Service Code of Conduct. The normal process is for the department’s corporate area to conduct an investigation and interview the officer concerned, and then another officer who has no relationship with the person concerned is tasked with determining whether breaches have occurred, with advice from the departmental legal area. Given the profile and gravity of the possible breaches, however, Treasury might opt for a more formal and legalistic process. Clearly Grech’s state of mind at the time will be relevant. Treasury claims it offered Grech assistance and he assured them everything was fine. In fact, Grech might have been in that terrible zone where getting extra staff would simply have slowed things down because the time needed to get them across issues and produce work of the required standard was greater than it would have taken Grech, working alone, to do it. If he indeed wanted to sabotage OzCar, it may have been because he had been driven to exhaustion and beyond by the task of implementing it, and couldn’t see any way out. For a man of such obviously strong sense of duty as Grech, simply walking away, as many of us might have done, may not have been an option, but bringing it down from within may have seemed, as he worked yet another 14 hour day, horribly appealing. There will be a few public servants in Canberra, and not just those labouring under 24/Kevin, who know from personal experience what a dark place Grech was in. And when he was asked to look after John Grant, some provincial car dealer who boasted of his friendship with the Prime Minister, Grech may, understandably, have figured that he had several million better things to do. At that point he might have thought something like “I’ll give you a connection with the Prime Minister.” What is most remarkable, however, is how Grech, a man apparently in regular contact with the Opposition and given to discussing confidential policy matters with non-public servants, a man who was struggling with appalling health problems, was allowed to operate at the closest proximity to power. Treasury head Ken Henry has questions to answer on this score, and not just from an angry Prime Minister, but from anyone concerned about Public Service probity. Grech is a disaster for the Australian Public Service, and why it happened needs to be examined carefully. |
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13 Comments
Clearly Godwin Grech is not a well man. Perhaps his present state of mind was exacerbated by RDS ( relevance deprivation syndrome) after Howard et al departed. After all it must have been heady stuff to be so close to the power and then whooof- its gone. What remains is an overload of work- for the new mob - thankless task.
Perhaps a night of the long knives might have been wise for Kevin 07. What he has now are PS legacy cases whose loyalties lie with yesterdays people.
I was surprised that the OzCar scheme was administered by Treasury, which I thought was a central policy department rather than a delivery agency. I would have thought that OzCar and similar schemes would have been administered by the Department of Infrastructure or even Finance.
In reality this man plausibly has a case to answer in relation to fraud, deception, breach of duty as an employee and/or breach of public service guidelines.
Whether he now is sick is immaterial - presumably he looked and felt OK when the Opposition were courting his involvement in this shabby affair and he was enjoying the attention. Having been exposed, nationally and publicly, it is perhaps not surprising that he now feels a little sick.
Quite possibly, the only real damage that has been done is to Mr Grech’s own reputation. On the bright side, Fairfax, News and company probably sold a few papers on the back of this tale, thus becoming the only winners.
Quite sad, really.
BK you frequently stress Godwin Grech’s appalling health problems, could you tell us what ails the man-apart from chronic depression?
To me he appears to be a Napoleonic figure but not having the latter’s grasp of detail.
I await your explanation.
I agree with the views above. I had a couple of thoughts: I wonder if the people in Treasury ever have meetings to discuss what projects etc they’re working on; if they need to do some networking or discussion over any difficulties etc. Perhaps I’m just too long out of the workforce? Grech may not have wanted anyone to work with him, as that person or those persons may not have approved of his relationship/s with the Opposition.
I feel vindicated in how I brought my kids up re telling lies. Tell me the truth and I can’t guarantee that you still won’t be in trouble - but tell me lies??? And the sky will fall in? I will be decidedly unimpressed! I’m pleased to say that they were pretty good with the truth. Perhaps Grech needed a mum like me? (I reckon I still have ‘the gift’ though? Picking giant fibbers? I bet Turnbull was telling porkies at his press conference yesterday - I groaned?)
I think the role played by Abetz and Turnbull was a disgrace, and the Senate should take action against them. All this to bring down the PM? Don’t they take an oath when they’re sworn in as Members/Senators? Why do they say prayers at the beginning of each question time? Then go ahead and act like bastards - dishonest ones at that? How about Abbott’s interview on the 7.30 Report? Toady little person!
Venise:
“Now being treated in a private Canberra psychiatric hospital, Mr Grech had been treated for colon cancer, septicemia, renal failure and had seven bowel obstructions over recent years. “
If an MP had this kind of meltdown they’d be wishing the MP and his family well recognising long years of service etc. But Rudd and Turnbull are so full of themselves - their followers so cowered - no one is game enough to come forward and say what a wretched situation Grech is in.
Turnbull, Abetz and Gretch used the Senate in attempt to fit up the Prime Minister and the Treasurer of our Parliament.
Turnbull and Abetz may not have known that the e-mail was phoney but the three of them were out for Labor Party blood and Rudd was not given benefit of doubt - his resignation was demanded unless he proved his innocence.
Whatever else, Gretch believed that he was “tight” with Turnbull and Abetz, that they were in this together, meeting in secret to plan, script and choreograph a stage setting to fit up the Prime Minister.
Taxpayers money was wasted having to search the internet to prove that the Prime Minister and the Treasurer were innocent of corrupt behaviour. Fortunately computer technology was up to the task on this occasion but that does not excuse the abuse of the Senate by Abetz and Gretch and the behind the scenes activity of Mr Turnbull. Were there others involved?
Mr Turnbull and Senator Abetz are responsible for this debacle and they should be dismissed from Parliament with loss of superannuation and all other benefits so that it is made absolutely clear that our Parliament must never be abused like this again.
Grecth’s indiscretions are child’s play. I’ve managed to get ‘detailed programatic specificity’ into two briefs so far and ‘in due season’ in one. Russell that I work with (well I say ‘work’ but, well you know, it’s the public service and I say ‘with’ but…) is working on an acrostic which tells the minister what he really thinks of him.
The system of government we have, at least as I was taught at school, included three very separate arms: the judiciary, the legislative and the administrative. Unfortunately in recent decades, the lines seem to be crossed at will by any person in politics/law/business who knows they have ‘control’ mechanisms over other businesses or the public sector to an increasing degree of frequency.
It is to the detriment of the fragile flower, AKA ‘Democracy’ that the press, the general public and members of the heirarchies in each of these three arms of government have forgotten the reasons why it is essential we respect and do our best to retain the highest level of integrity if we are employed as a business person/lawyer/public servant/member of an Australian parliament.
Sure, some of us may consider Mr Gretch as a very sad case, seeking attention (who cares why); however he would have been fully apprised of the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct when he initially signed on at Treasury (An aside: who has been conducting GG’s performance appraisals these past years?). If he is ill, let him get appropriate medical care; and if there are cracks regarding probity and professional conduct in Treasury, let the cultural change begin (is this a horrific one-off event?); if our public servants, business heads, judiciary and politicians don’t lead the way to something our children (and we) can be proud of; then only we can demand a big change by:
- reviewing who we may traditionally vote for;
- demanding changes in APS induction and performance indicators (an easy one for the press to pursue in this current climate);
- keep the businesses/lobbyists as honest as possible - boycott those you don’t trust by not putting your $ their way; and
- read some history to learn how this sad saga may have been avoided!
I may be dreadfully old fashioned but can’t overstate how necessary I feel it is time for a change to how such scandals shame the memories of those people who worked hard and fought for good and positive change in Australian Democracy. We have only recently commenced some peace with our indigenous Australians; let’s make it a country that is admired, not ridiculed.
PS: Quidditch brooms required for some quick cleaning!
“I’ll give you a connection with the Prime Minister” … Laugh Out Loud.
Yes, it’s almost certainly overwork and health related. The kamikaze call “Banzai” comes to mind too. Means something like “ten thousand years” or “long life” and when you are flying your fighter plane into a battleship surely is meant with great irony.
For those who missed it, crikey carried his grim health profile yesterday from the Auditor’s report. Health so bad it’s a day to day proposition. And as they say on Radio National depression is a way of your body telling you, get the f*ck out, change the programme, and do it now. If you don’t it’s the little bunny rabbit for you: That’s all folks!
This poor little Gollum is a product of the system - and I have met him before in various guises:
- the Defence Executive who finally had his breakdown when his masters brought him a laptop and discs to work on an urgent request on Christmas Eve while he was packing to go and join his family. There were no options - “do the work now” was it. But they’d been treating him as a lackey for decades - did he think they cared if he had a life?
- the program manger found babbling incoherently as she accosted strangers in Woden square to ask them advice on program policy. Set up to fail with absurd policies and procedures, the weight of responsibility and no assistance or acknowledgement from her superiors that the program was an unworkable mess, she cracked.
There are so many stories like this.
Maybe Grech is just one of these - just one sad, disturbed little man with a litany of poor excuses for doing something every career public servant knows is totally unacceptable, way beyond the bounds of the APS values and code of conduct, the public service act.
Grech must have been ambitious - no-one gets to Exec level in the APS without overweening ambition and a bit of backstabbing killer instinct. Already at Exec level 1, the system is self selecting for people who will twist the rules to their own purposes, who are willing to set themselves apart from their peers. If the minister wants a certain ‘spin’ on things - well, they know how to get things done - the right tone, the way you set out policy options, the selective use of supporting data “crunch it until you come up with the right number”. Forget fearless and frank - the SES ministerial ratings and bonus system did away with that decades ago.
And the execs work so hard. There is no upper limit on the hours they’ll put in. Gradually they cease to be people, become operatives of the department. It has it’s intrinsic rewards. Thanks and smiles from the most powerful in the land, the political masters. It must be wonderful for them to bask in the light of ministerial approbation. The money is good but the acknowledgement - makes you a star performer.
Then comes the darkness, a change of government. No limelight, no warmth. Our gollum has lost his precious thing. What won’t he do to win back some of that?
RaymondChurch: I apologise if I’ve not picked up on Rudd showing Grech compassion. Wonderful. Perhaps we’re not all as informed as you are. I admit to tough scrutiny of Turnbull and Abetz as key players in a federal Opposition about to implode. Without one we end up like Queensland where one party’s run riot to the detriment of the state - twice now. No doubt you’re well acquainted with the second unfolding debacle. As for being a stupid troll and having a foolish name I’m assuming you’re just feeling a bit liverish.
Barbara that was very interesting and sad all in one. Had a job in Woden once back in the day as a trademarks examiner. I wasn’t very good at it. Couldn’t get used to licensing off the English language exclusively to grubby business.