Of(f) Course Minister

Responsible government is a simple idea. Under it, public servants are responsible to ministers, ministers are responsible to the parliament, and parliament to the people.

This simple idea underpins parliamentary democracies worldwide. Yet deep inside government, an awkward truth is emerging. Rather than supporting responsible government, the relationships between ministers, public servants and the parliament are undermining it.

Of(f) Course, Minister takes us behind the closed doors of one of the world’s most successful and stable democracies. It examines how a nation formed on Westminster principles is drifting away from the north star of responsible government. It explains why this is happening, what it means for the way government works, and what can be done about it.

Sean Innis brings a blend of insight and humour to his tale. The story he tells is uniquely Australian. But it is one which holds lessons for democracies everywhere.

Sean Innis is transforming himself into a modestly impoverished, but intellectually fulfilled, writer. He is a (semi) regular columnist for The Mandarin.

Before beginning his transformation, Sean was the principal of Damala St Consulting—which sounds grander than it is. When not writing, he is an associate at Queritas, a firm of consulting philosophers—which is as (ahem) profound as it sounds.

Sean is an Honorary Fellow at the Australian National University, an Adjunct Fellow at the University of New South Wales and a Senior Fellow at ADC Forum.

Most of Sean’s working life has been spent in and around the government. This includes as inaugural director of the ANU Public Policy Hub, and as Special Adviser to Australia’s Productivity Commission. Before that Sean had a 15-year senior executive career in the Australian Public Service.

In his early working life, Sean was an average university tutor and very, very average bank teller. Both experiences taught him a lot. He plays the guitar to the regular annoyance, and occasional delight, of his family.

Customer Reviews

5.0

4 reviews

Sally Washington, Practice Fellow Australian, New Zealand School of Government

By his own admission, Sean Innis set out to write a book with 3 success criteria: to tell us something we didn’t know, to give us something to think about, and to make us smile or laugh. On all 3 counts he succeeded with this reader. His book gives us a look under the hood of Australian public governance – including both sides of the political/administrative interface – from someone who has worked a lifetime in and around government. The inside-out/outside-in perspective has something for everyone interested in how government does and should function. A lively and engaging read .
Andrew Metcalfe AO

Of(f) Course Minister is a highly informative, readable and entertaining analysis of contemporary Australian public administration. Good government and governance matter profoundly. Arguably, the best and most successful nations are so largely because of the quality of their governance. Australia has long been able to count itself in this select and fortunate group. In Of[f] Course Minister, Sean Innis thoughtfully explores the Westminster origins of Australia’s government; the key players in our democracy, our Constitution and our parliament; and the way this has evolved over time. Importantly, given current (indeed, constant) questioning about the role and size of public sectors, Innis highlights the changing role of public servants - from perceptions and guidance as to their role in 19th century Britain (courtesy of Dicey and Bagehot, Northcote and Trevelyan) - to experiences in modern Australia. The respective roles of Ministers, their staff, and public servants, are examined in detail. In a world where simplistic solutions are frequently offered to perceived or actual problems, Innis’ book offers a measured and meaningful analysis of our public sector. His conclusion that Australian governance is drifting off course is a timely reminder that no nation can take good government for granted. In my view Of(f) Course Minister should be compulsory reading. And not only for those with an academic or professional interest in public policy and administration - but also by our elected officials and their staff, political journalists, business and community leaders - indeed everyone who cares about the quality of our governments, and of the quality of the governance that they provide. We may not all share Innis' concerns, but we should all share his desire to protect the quality of governance that the Australian people expect and deserve.
Brenton Prosser

Of[f] Course Minister is essential reading for anyone interested in the realities of modern executive government. With his self-effacing wit, sharp critique, and genuine devotion to better government, Innis exposes deep-seated problems in the way government is now practised in Australia. As a Professor of Public Policy, I could recommend numerous academic studies or practice guides on government and public administration, but none are as thought-provoking, insightful, and grounded in practical wisdom as this one. Most notably, Innis goes behind the scenes of Westminster Government to examine the evolving relationship between ministers, public servants and members of parliament. He's at his most practical when he identifies the key "games" played by executive government and in outlining a path for today's leaders to develop responsive and responsible public sector craft. Innis’ book couldn't be timelier as disquiet with government grows and the potential for minority government in Australia looms. Ministers, members of parliament, political parties and public servants would all benefit from reflecting on Innis’ book means for the roles they play inside government. For those proudly devoted to their vocation of public service, and for stewards of the Australia’s public services, Innis’ book provides an important reference point for the future of public service in Australia. Those working inside government today may find Innis’ conclusions troubling, but that's exactly what makes Of[f] Course Minister worth reading.
Meredith Edwards

This is a must-read book for public servants, ministerial advisers and even time-poor politicians. Why? Because it sets out what is currently ‘off course’ in the roles of and relationships between the key players in our government system: ministers and their advisers, public servants, and elected members of parliament. Because the author has written an easy-to-read book with quirky humour popped in along the way, this is also a book for the curious person in the street who, in fact, is significantly affected by how we are governed and can learn how we could be governed better. The content of this book is based on two principles of responsible government, and which have their origins in the Westminster system of government: the supremacy of parliament and the doctrine of ministerial responsibility. In the Westminster tradition, parliament sovereignty reigns supreme; ministers, who form the executive, are responsible to the parliament; and public servants are responsible to parliament through ministers. Sean describes how, over time, performance of government has been undermined as the role of parliament overseeing the executive has declined, and public servants have become overly responsive to ministers’ wishes, at the cost of their independent duties to serve the parliament and the public. And we now have a cadre of unaccountable ministerial advisers. Further, ministerial responsibility, once so dependent on the confidence of the parliament, has gone off course as party politics are more likely to determine whether a minister must resign. So, over time ministerial responsibility has become ineffective, and the author argues this leaves an accountability hole at the heart of government. Several challenges are faced by modern government which Sean identifies, and then he provides many sensible suggestions for getting back on course, which he describes, using one of his many nautical metaphors, as ’Finding our North Star” of responsible government. These include parliamentarians balancing towing their party’s line with individual consciences, addressing the ‘washminster’ relationship between ministers and heads of department, increasing the accountability and professionalism of ministerial advisers, and a recalibration of the independence/responsiveness balance of public servants in the interests of responsible government. The author’s previous experience as a senior public servant, academic and consultant has led to a most valuable reflective account of the complex relationships within our system of government.

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Customer Reviews

4 reviews

Sally Washington, Practice Fellow Australian, New Zealand School of Government

Andrew Metcalfe AO

Brenton Prosser

Meredith Edwards

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