Wednesday 4 December 2013

Did Abbott & Pyne break the 10 Day Rule?


The Financial Review reported on 30 October 2013:

Tony Abbott has instructed his ministers to complete their submissions to ­cabinet 10 days before they are scheduled for discussion as he seeks to assure business and others that the days of ad hoc policymaking are over.
In an interview with The Australian Financial Review, the Prime Minister said he had re-instituted the “10-day rule” to ensure that by the time a ­decision was announced, it had been thoroughly workshopped by the department and other relevant ministers, minimising the potential for poor policy and unintended consequences.
“One of the object lessons of the last six years has been the peril that ­government created for itself, and the chaos that it risked creating for our country, when ordinary decision-making processes are abandoned and when the tried and tested process of cabinet and government are neglected in favour of spur of the moment opportunism,” he said.
Mr Abbott said the rule would be applied in every situation except in cases of national emergency when a quick decision was needed....

Well that seems clear cut.

So how does the quickly shifting federal policy on education funding stack up against this need to have decisions thoroughly workshopped by the department and other relevant ministers before they are announced?

There was barely a day between some of the foreshadowed or announced policy back flips by Prime Minister Abbott and Education Minister Pyne over the last eight or nine days.

The Abbott Government does not present as mature and stable - it appears inadequate and in panic mode.

No comments: