The Vanstone Files: Unpacking Ministerial Power 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

The Vanstone Files: Unpacking Ministerial Power

May 27, 2025 • Season 3 • Episode 10

In a wide ranging discussion, Alison, Caroline and Danielle come together to discuss the gems from the Amanda Vanstone interview, which examined how power, responsibility and decision-making played out at the top of government during her two decades as a federal minister.

Vanstone's approach to being a minister - asking questions until understanding, visiting programs unannounced, and taking full responsibility for decisions - offers deep insights.

We also canvas some less expected topics, including:

Is it a boomer quality to use ALL CAPS in inconveniently located thank you notes?
- See the memoir of UK civil service head What Does Jeremy Think? by Suzanne Heywood
Are the best questions the ones asked by kindergarteners 'Who? What? Why?'
- See also Maria Katsonis LinkedIn post on The Art of Asking Smarter Questions
Are people disinterested in history in policy making, or are we just pitching it wrong?
- See also Abul Rizvi on Immigration Policy on The Joe Walker Podcast
- Memoir of Pamela Churchill Harriman Kingmaker by Sonia Purnell
Was Amanda Vanstone falling in to the classic 'good girl' trope of delivering savings, rather than posturing about plans to deliver savings?
- On why Australia struggles with a conversation about trade offs, see Judith Brett on How a Benthamite Political Culture Shaped Australia's Electoral System, on The Joe Walker Podcast
Would we star in a documentary on tricky policy making? Or do we already have the essence of one in Utopia?

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!