public value
3 October, 2019
Published in the Public Sector Informant, Canberra Times, on October 1 2019 On a dark and stormy night, a long time ago, a colleague of mine, having spent long hours reviewing and clearing documents, declared that the work of […]
4 September, 2019
A good rule for life—and one learnt very hard sometimes by teenagers—goes like this: just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. Just because you can stand on the roof of a car travelling at 90 kilometres per […]
15 May, 2017
By John Preston On the ABC’s Radio National’s morning program the other day, presenter Fran Kelly chided Federal member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson MP. Henderson used the interview to persistently belt her political opponents rather than debating regional rail links […]
1 May, 2017
By Emily Edmunds and John Preston The Easter long weekend was a busy one for the Prime Minister’s communications team. The Prime Minister’s polls were problematic: his party’s conservatives were restive, former prime ministers were offering unsolicited advice and Coalition voters […]
24 April, 2017
By Susannah Bishop and John Preston We like to believe we’re a culture of tolerance and understanding. We’re in the land of ideas. Mercifully—at least in Australia—the days of being imprisoned for disagreeing with those in power are long gone. Also […]
19 April, 2017
By John Preston In ancient Greek mythology, Theseus—the founder of Greek democracy—entered the Labyrinth on the island of Minos and conquered the Minotaur. Theseus was renowned for his great strength, courage and—above all—wit. Today’s regulatory and policy environments are a […]