BIG-PICTURE LESSONS WE MUST HEED
THE first two weeks of public hearings at the Commission of Inquiry have been an unusual moment in Tasmanian governance: an example of unfettered scrutiny of the inner workings of our bureaucracy.
In between the brave and confronting testimony of victim-survivors, the commission has also heard from several departmental secretaries, from the Premier’s Department, from Justice and Education.
It is a widely accepted fact in Tasmania that the small size of our parliament and the turnover and varied talents of our ministers mean that the public sector wields a disproportionate amount of power. But it is unusual to see our senior public service leaders face public scrutiny in this way.
There are other, lesser opportunities for accountability in the democratic process of course.
There are parliament and the brief annual Budget Estimates Committee hearings, which will soon be upon us. However, in both cases their effectiveness at revealing a clear picture of performance is blunted by the reality of politics, the defensive screen of ministers and advisers.
The ambit of this Commission of Inquiry represents only a small — although critically important — subset of governmental endeavour. What has emerged, though, is somewhat troubling.
We have seen questionable prioritisation of reforms, poor understanding of roles, cultural resistance to transparency, and a frequent bureaucratic lack of basic humanity. It is hard not to wonder if these problems do not exist more broadly. Is this a snapshot of our broader entrenched political culture?
This commission is a rare and precious needed opportunity for close examination and wide debate. There has been much discussion in recent years about the adequacy of Tasmania’s oversight mechanisms in their various forms. Is there something short of this commission process that might serve us well in future to ensure that our state is pursuing best practice? It is time to carefully consider how we might avoid getting to such a parlous state in another area.
Attorney-General Elise Archer has said she does not want to enter into daily commentary on the work of the Commission of Inquiry. The federal election campaign may explain to some extent the reluctance of our state politicians to engage in much reflection to date, but all Tasmanians must pay attention to the lessons that are unfolding at this inquiry.
We build a better society and better government through strong accountability and openness to change. We must be sure that the hard lessons we are learning won’t have to be learned twice.