The Westminster Tradition

The Hon John Hill, on being a Minister

Jul 8, 2024

Former state Minister for Health and the Arts, The Hon John Hill, discusses the trust between ministers and public servants, the approval process of the RoboDebt policy, dynamics between ministers and department heads, the influence of personal narratives in politics, navigating systemic risks in healthcare, effective governance through stakeholder relationships, and building relationships and maintaining respect in office.

01:02:53

Episode guests

The Hon John Hill

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Ministers prioritize trust with public servants for effective governance functioning.

Lessons from the Robo Debt Royal Commission highlight complexities of minister-department relationships.

Promoting good governance practices and transparent communication is vital for effective decision-making in public service.

Deep dives

Governance Over Politics

Ministers transition from focusing on politics to governance, emphasizing the importance of trusting public servants. Establishing trust with public service is crucial for effective government functioning.

Intro

5min

Analyzing the Approval Process of a Controversial Government Policy

4min

Minister-Head of Department Relationship Dynamics

26min

The Influence of Personal Narratives in Politics and Government Decisions

4min

Navigating Systemic Risks in the Health Portfolio

3min

Effective Governance Through Stakeholder Relationships

6min

Building Relationships and Maintaining Respect in Office

15min

In this episode, former state Minister for Health and the Arts (among others) the Hon John Hill, shares his insights into what Ministers want - and what they need - from the public service.

You can buy his book ‘On being a Minister’ here - and if you’re brave, share with your Minister!

Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

If you want rigorous reporting on Robodebt, we recommend the work of Rick Morton at the Saturday Paper, Chris Knaus and Luke Henriques-Gomes at the Guardian, Ben Eltham at Crikey, Julian Bajkowski at The Mandarin, and of course, the Robodebt Royal Commission itself.

Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at thewestminstertraditionpod@gmail.com.

Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

'Til next time!

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The Westminster Tradition

The Hon John Hill, on being a Minister

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Governance Over Politics

Lessons for Public Service

Creating Alignment and Understanding

Striving for Good Governance

Personal Accountability and Mutual Respect

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts