The truth lost in a blizzard of spin

IFTHEREeverwasan indication of how well thegovernmentwas expecting to perform in any given session of budget estimates hearings this week, it was the volume of press releases its media unit was churningout.

Oneweekagoon Thursday, the government issued a solitary media advisory.

This Thursday, as five ministers fronted committees, that figure was 26. It was quite thecrescendo.

Most reporters have experienced an attempt to snow them. Few have spent four days trying to find their way through a blizzard.

It’ s not like anyone was reading those missives: the pundits were glued to their live video feeds as an extraordinary week unfolded. Still, it was worth a shot.

Itwasaweekrichin distractions from the proceedings taking place in committeerooms.

The commission of inquiry was announced on Monday morning, the State Service Review was released just after lunch.

The new co educational schools were announced on Tuesday morning, then the long-delayedlightrail suddenlyappeared.

Are view of the Planning Commission review dropped at 4.50 pm on Wednesday, just as the relevant minister Roger Ja en sch was wrapping up his session. Such unlucky timing. Each morning this week outside parliament, a queue of public service mandarin sand ministerial advisers arrived with folders full of answers undertheirarms.

What treasure troves of information those contain.

As questions were rattled off inside the committees, the folders flew open, the relevant budget estimates brief pages were produced and the lever arch clips snapped shut.

Themoreconfident ministers could rattle off an answer off the top of their head, the more nervous struggled to get through the paper that was handed to them. When

thingsgothot, there was always the refuge of taking a question on notice or the deflection to a department secretary or agencychief.

Parliament’ s annual festival of dodging and weaving is an instructive look into the machinery of government, especially so at a time when Tasmania’ s debate about transparency is in full swing.

But here’ s a suggestion for 2021: why not just hand over those briefing folders and give the press release writers the weekoff?

HERE’S A SUGGESTION FOR 2021: WHY NOT JUST HAND OVER THOSE BRIEFING FOLDERS AND GIVE THE PRESS RELEASE WRITERS THE WEEK OFF?