Picking the Scab of Recruitment - Part 2 'The Employer' Artwork

The Westminster Tradition

Unpacking lessons for the public service, starting with the Robodebt Royal Commission.
In 2019, after three years, Robodebt was found to be unlawful. The Royal Commission process found it was also immoral and wildly inaccurate.

Ultimately the Australian Government was forced to pay $1.8bn back to more than 470,000 Australians.

In this podcast we dive deep into public policy failures like Robodebt and the British Post Office scandal - how they start, why they're hard to stop, and the public service lessons we shouldn't forget.

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The Westminster Tradition

Picking the Scab of Recruitment - Part 2 'The Employer'

April 15, 2025 • The Westminster Tradition • Season 3 • Episode 7

Surfing a wave of listener feelings about this topic, Danielle takes us through the experience of public service recruitment from the other side.

Danielle and Alison argue about the merits of requiring 'in house' recruitment before externally advertising positions
The role that conservative (perhaps inexpert??) local budget management plays in driving a cycle of vacancies and short term contracts
How complex recruitment processes make the public service less and less like the public we serve
Ezra Klein's podcast episode In This House, We're Angry When Government Fails
The good, the bad and the ugly of external recruiters

This podcast was recorded on Kaurna land, and we recognise Kaurna elders past and present. Always was, always will be.

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.

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!