Episodes

  • Drawing on overwhelming feedback from our listeners, in this episode we unpack the experience of being recruited into the public sector (or ghosted along the way).

    Danielle takes us through

    What goes in Role Descriptions (hint: it shouldn't be slabs of legislation)The madness of defined requirements like 'driving' and 'interstate travel' (and whether Caroline's sister can really change a tyre)Alison's idea of an X factor style button for use in interviews when it's immediately clear this isn't working for anyone

    We finish with a listener description of a mad recruitment process that ends with, you guessed, it, ghosting.

    Thanks to Mary, our mug winner for this episode, for a great story!

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • How did the abuse at Oakden remain hidden for so long? And what finally brought it to light?

    In this episode we discuss:

    why families might not complainhow small, isolated outposts can hide terrible thingsthe importance of following up on things that don’t feel quite right.

    Intro grab from the RN Background Briefing episode A Failure to Care: The Oakden Nursing Home, featuring Lorraine Baff, whose father was a patient at Oakden.

    You can find the full ICAC Report into Oakden here, and the Chief Psychiatrist report here.

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

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  • In light of this week's decision that the NACC will pursue investigations into six public officials, we thought we would repost this episode from December 2024 explaining why the NACC's original decision to take no further action needed to be revisited, with a little explainer up front on the latest news.

    You can find out more about the NACC's announcement on 18th February 2025 here.

    In this episode, we talk about where things are at, managing conflicts of interest, and whether corruption always involves brown paper bags.

    For Rick Morton's reporting on this:

    Eight minutes outside: how the NACC failed on robodebtNACC dumped Gleeson over concerns for CoalitionNACC integrity officer quits over integrity

    Other recommended reads:

    Annabel Crabb's article on PM Albanese's response to the Qantas upgrades controversyJoe Aston's book The Chairman's Lounge

    Opening grab features National Anti-Corruption Commissioner Paul Brereton, appearing before the NACC Parliamentary Joint Committee, 22 November 2024.

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • For over a decade, the state government vacillated about whether or not to privatise the Oakden Older Persons Mental Health Facility.

    Once the 2007 accreditation crisis had passed, however, it never reached the top of the ‘to do’ list. Meanwhile, investment in facilities and staffing were endlessly postponed pending a decision.

    In this episode, we discuss:

    the dangers of decay while waiting for strategic directionswhether an organisation is ever really too broke to buy a $15 piece of equipment;some tactics for unsticking things.

    We also discuss an excellent listener question from a manager in social services policy who is thinking of getting out.

    Intro and outro grabs from the RN Background Briefing episode A Failure to Care: The Oakden Nursing Home, featuring Alma Krecu and Lorraine Baff, whose fathers were patients at Oakden.

    You can find the full ICAC Report into Oakden here, and the Chief Psychiatrist report here.

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • We return for 2025 with a series on the Oakden Older Persons Mental Health Facility, an SA Government run facility whose scandalous conditions and institutionalised elder abuse were exposed in 2017, prompting (among other things) a Commonwealth Royal Commission.

    In this episode, we unpack a missed opportunity in 2007 to move Oakden from a mid-twentieth century asylum to a modern aged care facility, when the facility failed Commonwealth accreditation standards.

    Why is it so easy for executives to mobilise resources in a crisis, but so hard for managers to redress chronic under resourcing?How do you make sure you keep your eye on the long-term solution when the spot light is on?

    Intro and outro grabs from the RN Background Briefing episode A Failure to Care: The Oakden Nursing Home, featuring Carla Baron, the aged care consultant who quit in 2007 because she didn’t think management wanted to change.

    You can find the full ICAC Report into Oakden here, and the Chief Psychiatrist report here.

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • What do Secretaries really think when junior staff ask for career advice? Why are silos so impermeable? And should Christmas really be cancelled? Join Danielle and Caroline as they take Mike through listener questions.

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • Mike Kaiser, recently departed head of the Queensland Public Service, joins us to chat about the interface between political offices and the public service, lessons from robodebt, why delivery is everything in government and the secret of leadership.

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • Danielle unpacks the recently released APS State of the Service, with a look over our should at where we’ve come from - from the 1976 Coombs Royal Commission on Australian Government Administration, to the 2019 Thodey Review of the APS.

    How are women, First Nations and people with disability going in the APS? What about class?

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • Keeping track of the National Anti-Corruption Commission and Robodebt is tricky - first there's no investigation, then there's some kind of review, then there's a search for an eminent person....

    In this episode, we talk about where things are at, managing conflicts of interest, and whether corruption always involves brown paper bags.

    For Rick Morton's reporting on this:

    Eight minutes outside: how the NACC failed on robodebtNACC dumped Gleeson over concerns for CoalitionNACC integrity officer quits over integrity

    Other recommended reads:

    Annabel Crabb's article on PM Albanese's response to the Qantas upgrades controversyJoe Aston's book The Chairman's Lounge

    Opening grab features National Anti-Corruption Commissioner Paul Brereton, appearing before the NACC Parliamentary Joint Committee, 22 November 2024.

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • Post Office’s internal inquiries never got to the bottom of the situation. Here we unpack how to choose an investigator, getting the information to the person, and what do with a report.

    Opening grab from Sir Anthony Hooper, independent chair of Horizon mediation scheme.

    Subsequent grab from Mr Beer KC and Paula Vennels, former Post Office Limited Chief Executive.

    Subsequent grab Mr Beer KC and Alice Perkins, former Post Office Limited Chair.

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • Post Office leadership commissioned at least 6 different investigations of varying degrees of independence and rigor into complaints about Horizon after 2010. And yet none of them got to the truth. In the next two episodes, we unpack what not to do when setting up inquiries and investigations.

    Opening grab from Mr Beer KC and Alice Perkins, former Post Office Limited Chair.

    Subsequent grab from Mr Beer KC and Alice Perkins, former Post Office Limited Chair.

    Final grab from Mr Beer KC and Rod Ismay, Former Post Office Limited, Head of Product and Branch Accounting.

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • Another great round of questions, thanks!

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • Thanks for the questions folks!

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • The Australian Public Service Commission has released the findings of its Centralised Code of Conduct Inquiry into Robodebt.

    Outro grab from The West Wing, Season 3, Episode 10.

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • In this episode, we look at why Post Office kept prosecuting Sub Post Masters through the lens of Dan Davies' analysis in his new book The Unaccountability Machine.

    Opening grab from Mr Beer KC (Counsel Assisting) and Alisdair Cameron, CFO and former interim CE of Post Office Ltd.

    Subsequent grab from Mr Blake KC (Counsel Assisting) and Graham Brander, former Post Office Investigator.

    Subsequent grab from Mr Beer KC and Anne Chambers, former Fujitsu Engineer Third Line Support.

    Final grab from Mr Blake KC and Paul Inwood, former Post Office Limited Contract Manager.

    For thorough and detailed reporting of the Post Office Scandal, start with the reporting of Nick Wallis, including his BBC podcast, the Great Post Office Trial.

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • A massive power imbalance, everyone doing the narrowest version of their jobs, and an overriding culture that assumed postmasters were thieves. These are just some of the ways Post Office ended up prosecuting postmasters for shortfalls that existed only on the computer.

    Opening grab from Mr Beer KC (Counsel Assisting) and Rob Wilson, former Head of the Royal Mail Group Criminal Law Team.

    Subsequent grab from Mr Beer KC and Helen Rose, former Post Office / Royal Mail Group Auditor.

    Final grab from Andrew Wise, former Advisor in the Network Business Support Centre, Post Office.

    For thorough and detailed reporting of the Post Office Scandal, start with the reporting of Nick Wallis, including his BBC podcast, the Great Post Office Trial.

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • In this episode, former state Minister for Health and the Arts (among others) the Hon John Hill, shares his insights into what Ministers want - and what they need - from the public service.

    You can buy his book ‘On being a Minister’ here - and if you’re brave, share with your Minister!

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • In this second interview with former Commonwealth Secretary and Australian Public Service Commissioner Andrew Podger AO, Danielle gets to chat about

    The pros and cons of bringing all service delivery together in a single agency The valuing of operational expertise v policy leadershipThe role of portfolio budget practices in driving RobodebtCultures of challenge and diversity of thoughtThe future of public service reform.References in the episode

    2019 Thodey Review of Australian Public Service1976 Coombs Royal Commission on Australian Government Administration

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • With a decade as a Commonwealth Secretary, and two more as Australian Public Service Commissioner, it is no surprise Robodebt Royal Commissioner Holmes turned to Andrew Podger AO for expert advice on the operation of the public service.

    In this episode, Danielle talks to Andrew about the impact that granting tenure could have on the quality of advice, the increasing use of labour hire in the public service, and the importance of senior executives having read the legislation.

    Also referenced in the conversation:

    The ‘Barilaro Report’: NSW DPC Investigation into the Appointment of Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the AmericasBlair Comley, Cth Secretary Health and Ageing, speech to IPAA (14 March 2024)Intro grab features Counsel Assisting Justin Greggery, Ms Kathryn Campbell AO CSC, and Commission Holmes, 11 November 2022.

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!

  • What does the community want more - every last transgressor to be punished, or government to keep out of their business?

    How can regulators keep pace with changing community expectations about what is ‘appropriate’ - and, indeed, what is a workplace?

    What is a regulator to do when you’re facing these issues in the full glare of media scrutiny?

    In this final episode of the Essendon mini-series, we think about what this footy doping scandal can tell us about the challenges of being a modern regulator.

    Intro grab is then Chief Executive of the AFL, Andrew Demetriou, at the press conference releasing the Australian Crime Commission report on 7 February, 2013.

    Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

    While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

    If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

    Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at [email protected].

    Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

    'Til next time!