ABBOTT PM AND G-G HOWARD WILL RESTORE THE GOLDEN DAYS

Godwin Grech Published: August 17, 2012

Australian governance has deteriorated markedly since the election of the Rudd-Gillard government in November 2007. Chronic leadership instability, a preoccupation with spin, loss of the policy agenda to trade unions and the Greens, incompetence, a ''survive at any cost'' mentality and a blatantly pro-ALP bureaucracy draping itself in the sacred cloak of Westminster have produced some of the most appalling public policy and administration since Federation.
We've seen the compromise of national borders; woefully inept initiatives resulting in the loss of life, property and billions of taxpayer dollars; green loans, corrupted tenders, massive new taxes and red tape without a mandate, as well as highly creative fiscal accounting producing fool's gold budget ''surpluses'' - all made possible by a completely complicit and compromised Treasury.
The good news is there is reason to hope that the wounds will be cauterised as the Rudd-Gillard government meets its end at the ballot box within 12 months. If the Coalition is to improve the way we are governed, it must provide solid leadership, a healthy respect for due process and a much more accountable public service.
As much as it frustrates the Left (including most of the press gallery, the ABC, Fairfax, the public service and the inner urban intellectual trendies typical of the Q&A set), Tony Abbott will quickly become an effective prime minister in the John Howard mould.
Malcolm Turnbull will continue to be the target of faux love from the Left as attempts are made to destabilise the Coalition. The simple truth, however, is that Turnbull's days as leader of the Liberal Party are over. The reasons for his leadership failure are well documented, even if some elements have been deliberately exaggerated to disguise various flaws.
A closer examination of the Coalition's dark days of 2008 and 2009 sheds light on why it was almost inevitable that Turnbull's leadership was doomed. Although Turnbull adopted a commendably hard line with respect to the orgy of poorly developed, Treasury-sanctioned public expenditure following the onset of the global financial crisis in late 2008, on the core issues of climate change and the Emissions Trading Scheme, his position was taken largely to placate Rudd.
Not only did this divide the grassroots of the Liberal Party, it completely alienated the Coalition's junior partner, the Nationals.
The Nationals' poor showing in the 2007 Federal election, compounded by the loss of Lyne in 2008, allowed Turnbull effectively to ignore them.
The brutal reality is that no Liberal Party leader can hope to become prime minister without the support of the junior Coalition partner. This is where Abbott has it all over Turnbull. Since becoming leader, Abbott has wisely embraced his Coalition partner and appears to have a strong relationship with the likely next Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce.
Joyce or Warren Truss will only need to invoke the memory of Black Jack McEwen to deliver the stable leadership vital for good governance. Following the drowning of Harold Holt, then-Country Party leader McEwen made it very clear that he could not serve under Billy McMahon. Goodnight, Billy!
Labor's internal dysfunction has served not only to drive a stake through the heart of the Rudd-Gillard government, but has revealed just how good a national leader John Howard was. Howard provided the leadership gravitas, maturity and credibility Labor can only dream of.
At a time of profound structural change, a nation which neglects any of its top-line leadership prospects is failing its people. In September 2013, Quentin Bryce's term as governor-general is due to end. By any objective measure, Howard would make a first-class head of state who would be warmly embraced by Buckingham Palace. He would perfectly complement Tony Abbott, providing Australians with a world-class leadership team.
Meanwhile, creating a more transparent and accountable public sector must involve stopping the current charade of former Labor staffers, members and operatives occupying senior public service positions while parading as Westminster-style apolitical professionals.
If a duly elected government wishes to make political appointments to the public service, it should have the right to do so, but to do so openly. With the market for policy advice now highly contestable, there is little to fear and much to gain from facilitating a spill of all Senior Executive Service positions following each election. This would give the government of the day full confidence in the public service as well as helping end the practice of weak ministers using the shield of so-called ''independent public service advice'' to justify poor politically motivated choices.
The truly competent apolitical public service professionals will hang on thanks to ability and reputation. As for the others, irrespective of competence, they could be seen for what they are.
Godwin Grech spent 20 years serving successive Labor and Coalition governments in both Treasury and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. He resigned from Treasury in 2009 after admitting to leaking information and forging an email. This is an edited version of an article in The Spectator Australia.
Follow the National Times on Twitter

This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/abbott-pm-and-gg-howard-will-restore-the-golden-days-20120816-24bk1.html