The report of a key instigator of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme and respected former Australian Public Service Commission chief Andrew Podger has been released, with calls for much tougher protections for bureaucrats from political staff to ensure quality and courage in advice.
In a withering critique of the blurring of boundaries between in-favour bureaucrats and their political masters, Podger cautions that the erosion of independence between minister and mandarin is now leading to poor decisions because senior public servants dare not speak their minds for fear of their positions.
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