Great news – and the sky will not fall in – unproductive people will be freed to get productive work.
On top of recent news from Victoria that they will dump their 20% greenhouse reduction target.
This could get to be catching – cleaning out GreenLabor rubbish. What other candidates are there for shutting down – abolishing – repealing – firing – generally giving taxpayers a break.
Come 1 December, 2013 I’m sure Tony Abbott will be able to name quite a few.
I am impressed with the way Campbell Newman has started, especially with regard to how he has begun with the handling of the Mr Withers issue.
Campbell Newman’s approach demonstrates the excellent leadership qualities which are trained and developed into military officers, and for which they are selected and promoted.
Campbell Newman’s handling of Mr Whitters’ situation so far is an example. Mr Whitters, Anna Bligh’s husband, was responsible for setting up the green schemes under the Bligh government.
Alex said here: joannenova.com.au/2012/03/there-go-those-gravy-trains-in-queensland-victoria/#comment-1025252
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Campbell Newman has given him the job of undoing them.
Mr Withers is a professional public servant. His job is to do the job he is appointed to do and directed to do by the elected government. It is also his job to give frank and fearless advice to the government, but in the end, if he is truly a professional, he must do what he is told to do by the elected government. Having given his advice, he should then knuckle down and do the job, applying all his skills and competence to achieving the goals he has been given, and to do the job to the best of his ability.
Since Mr Withers knows the most about what he has set up, he is obviously the best person to undo it (if he is a true professional).
If he is not a truly professional public servant, and he chooses to resign instead of doing the job, he will do a lot of damage to the reputation of public servants, not just in Queensland but right across Australia. Because he will reveal that some (perhaps many) of them are ideologues rather than true and honest servants of the public’s will that they are employed to serve.
Of course, if he chooses to resign rather than do the job, he will also save the Queensland Treasury some $100,000 plus, because if he was fired the government would have to pay him that amount to break his contract.
If he cannot perform the job satisfactorily, or he whinges, makes a fuss or obfuscates, he should be demoted and disciplined. If he is not competent in the next role he is given, he should be put on quarterly performance reviews until he is competent.
I think Campbell Newman is showing excellent skills at the start of his tenure.
I wonder how the ‘Sir Humphries’ (the senior public servant in ‘Yes Minister’) will respond and what tricks he has up his sleeve 🙂