Transparent governance is the key

Thank you to John Hewson’s excellent analysis of the privatisation conundrum (“My own privatised Idaho”, September 4-10). For me, the greatest example of poor outcomes through privatisation has to be aged care. Exposed as a poor policy choice in the royal commission, we now know that the goal of making money out of the care of the aged does not work in most cases. This is the standout, but Hewson shows that we need to be much more clever in public administration to make privatisation effective. Transparency is the key, by ensuring we have a wellfunded National Audit Office, effective senate estimates processes, a well-funded and supported Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and, of course, a “proper” Commonwealth Integrity Commission. It is the public institutions that will keep us safe and effectively governed.

– Stephen Brand, Torrens, ACT