There’s at least one issue that seems to be engendering bipartisan support in Canberra at the moment: the “Allan Asher did a really stupid thing” platform.
Save for the Greens, that is. Bob Brown has said that he’d be ”appalled” if action was taken against the Commonwealth Ombudsman after it was revealed that he had furnished Greens MP Sarah Hanson-Young with a set of questions to ask him at estimates about a lack of funding for his office.
Asher has made it clear that his scripting of questions was prompted by concerns about the office’s under-resourcing, given the explosion of work as the number of people in immigration detention has dramatically grown, but he has subsequently apologised for the method with which he attempted to highlight the problem.
Now, as The AFR’s Laura Tingle reports today, “both sides of politics are wrestling with what should happen next, given the widespread view that Mr Asher’s actions have damaged the apparent independence of his office”.
Labor senator John Faulkner and Coalition senator Eric Abetz were right to question Asher’s wisdom — perception is everything when it comes to the independence of the office, and on this score, the idea that Asher was appealing to Hanson-Young for assistance and scripting her estimates questions looks terrible.
But there are more than perceptions at stake here. Asher’s actions also reflects a profound error of judgment. Using the processes of Parliament, such as committee hearings, to defend and advance the interests of one’s own agency is routine in Canberra. And, true, not every estimates question that is ever asked is invented within the offices of non-government senators. But Asher went well beyond normal practice to in effect attempt to undermine the effective functioning of a Senate committee. The Ombudsman was correct to apologise, but that is insufficient. His misjudgment was of sufficient magnitude that he has no alternative but to resign.
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The Ombudsman’s responsibility in this matter is well highlighted here , but what is not mentioned is the ineptitude and squirming lack of responsibility of the Government in handling the direct concerns the Ombudsman had for functioning of his office . It probably is too much to expect Politicians to act in the same way they expect public servants to act . The same behaviour is evidenced in the Industry I work in and I am beginning to wonder if this is symptom of a society wide malaise
Grow up Bernard. Andrew Metcalfes department are costing taxpayers hundreds of millions by being wrong so often and dreaming up hair brained schemes.
What Asher did is not even remotely different to what happens every day.
Senator Linda Kirk in 2005 did a forensic investigation into what happened to the Bakhtiyari family but she did not write a single question.
I wrote every single one of the dozens of questions and repeat questions and she simply asked them.
Do grow up you tedious little bore – it is Metcalfe who should be sacked in disgrace.
If any other department got their case load wrong 86% of the time the boss would be booted out.
Asher is working with bugger all resources to investigate Metcalfe’s mess by the way.
Of course there is bipartisan support on this issue. Which government wants its public servants. especially senior public servants, to highlight gross maladministration in ensuring there are sufficient funds to handle an ever-increasing workload. A workload bought on by changes in government policy.
Our experience was the same in one high profile department who shuffled off funds to higher profile political spin projects, while expecting employees to be able to provide the same level of service. This while paying thousands of dollars to a consultant whose reports mirrored the whims of the current management team, recommending outsourcing of some functions to offset reduced staff numbers. Natural attrition occured without fail, the boss got his performance bonus and moved on but the staff are still waiting for the promised outsourcing of some lower level functions to offest staffing pressures. Wouldn’t we all love to be able to brief Senate Estimates.
Why not open Senate Estimates processes to questions passed onto Committee members via submissions from public servants with the promise of confidentiality. Afterall it is public servants who know what is going on in their departments and the right questions to ask. Wouldn’t this make the process more transparent.
Many public servants cringe during Senate Estimates at all the questions the politician’s are not asking. One wonders if it is all a Clayton’s process.
Had Mr Asher revealed the contact with the Greens immediately, instead of after prompting, there would be no grounds at all for complaint. Does the difference really constitute a hanging offence? What wrong was done and to whom?
Robert Pullan – surely Sarah HY has some responsibility here? Even Bob Brown if she let him know what she was up to.