The Victorian Ombudsman is calling for assistance with her investigation into the politicisation of the Public Service.
Releasing her Politicisation of the Public Service issues paper, Ombudsman Deborah Glass said that in February this year the Legislative Council passed a motion requiring her to investigate a number of matters, including what had been described as the politicisation of the Public Service.
“The investigation will consider the implications of an allegation that there is an emerging trend of people with a political affiliation being appointed to executive positions in the Victorian Public Service,” Ms Glass said.
She said she had appointed former Commonwealth Ombudsman, John McMillan to lead the investigation into the politicisation of the Public Service.
“He has never worked in Victoria and brings an open mind to the issues under investigation,” Ms Glass said
She said the investigation would examine four key questions, including if there were any recent examples of impropriety in the way executive officers had been appointed.
She said this embraced other questions such as if there were recent examples of proper steps not being followed within Government in creating executive vacancies and making appointments, or of inappropriate processes being followed.
Ms Glass said Professor McMillan would examine if there were recent examples where the Victorian Public Service had either suffered adversely or benefited from people with a political affiliation being appointed to executive positions.
The Ombudsman said that this part of the investigation would also seek to find out if a new and different trend in executive appointments was diminishing the capacity of the Public Service to fulfil its conventional role.
She said the third key question asked if there were recent examples where Government administration had been either detrimentally or beneficially affected by people with a political affiliation being appointed to executive positions.
Ms Glass said this included consideration of which areas of Government decision making were endangered when political considerations inappropriately overshadowed public interest considerations.
She said Professor McMillan would also investigate whether any reform was required to the way that executive officers were appointed to and undertook Government service.
The Ombudsman’s 12-page Issues Paper can be accessed at this PS News link.
