March 14, 2023
Becoming the actual minister has unique challenges. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi) If there is a change of government in NSW on March 25, the new administration has the task of running Australia’s largest public sector with little ministerial experience. With the Coalition government in power since 2011, only one person in the NSW Labor shadow cabinet has experience as a minister.
Shadow attorney-general Michael Daley has previously been police minister and finance minister. Ben Hubbard, Julia Gillard’s former chief of staff and principal at Creswell Advisory, said it can take a while for previous shadow ministers to find their feet.
Hubbard has been involved in several state and federal changes of government. His consultancy was engaged by the federal government last year to provide advice on their first 100 days of government. Hubbard offered The Mandarin his advice to new ministers and public servants who might experience disruption after the election. For ministers, Hubbard emphasised the importance of the first four days to get a new government off to the right start, with the first 100 days “critically important”.
“The first 96 hours can create momentum and frame a new administration; conversely, a tentative and shambling government will spend months recovering from a rocky first week,” Hubbard said. “Beyond a hard, detailed schedule of the first week, a detailed 100-day plan should be in the top drawer for later revision as the government settles in.” If the opposition is considering machinery of government changes, Hubbard cautions they should only be done if critical given how disruptive they are to the public service.
What NSW public servants need to know about new ministers
By Anna Macdonald
March 15, 2023
The upcoming NSW election could foreshadow disruption for Australia’s largest public sector workforce.
If there is a change of government, Creswell Advisory principal Ben Hubbard offers some advice to help prepare the NSW public service.
Hubbard has been involved in numerous change-of-government processes, including most recently advising the federal government on its first 100 days.
It’s important for the public service to pay attention to the language of potential ministers as they’re preparing their incoming government briefs (IGBs).