EP#82: How government experts self-sabotage
Australia’s public service is based on the principle of providing frank and fearless advice, where advice given is expected to be honest and politically neutral to ensure public trust. However, despite the release of official policy advice is released, governments are sometimes accused of ignoring or rejecting their experts, raising questions about the efficacy of the advice itself.
On this episode of Work with Purpose, we discuss with ANU academic Dr Christiane Gerblinger about her recently released book ‘How government experts self-sabotage: the language of the rebuffed’. Along with host David Pembroke, Dr Gerblinger discusses the reasons behind the government’s tendency to ignore or reject policy advice, including experts’ reluctance to disclose information to accommodate political circumstances, and suggests ways to improve the structure and presentation of official advice for it to be taken up.
Discussed in this episode:
- Why expert policy advice is often overlooked by the government in Australia.
- Analysis of specific cases where policy advice was ignored or rejected.
- Suggestions for improving the structure and presentation of official advice.
- How experts can better convince their audience to consider their advice in decision-making.
Guests:
Dr Christiane Gerblinger
Dr Christiane Gerblinger is a visiting fellow at the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University. After completing a PhD on science and regeneration in Gothic science fiction in 2000, Christiane worked in a range of public sector roles, including as senior policy adviser and speechwriter. Her last stint as a speechwriter in the Treasury portfolio led to her being awarded a Sir Roland Wilson scholarship to undertake a second PhD on the language of rejected or ignored policy advice.