Craig Sherrin reflects on what he sees as the pros and cons of governments in Queensland, arguing that while the conservatives overemphasised the economy, Labor overemphasised the social.
Brian Head contrasts the Beattie Government with the Goss Government in terms of their impact on the public service. He states that while the Goss Government carried out large-scale, modernising reforms, the Beattie Government made much smaller scale, mainly political changes. He discusses his position as Public Service Commissioner in the Beattie Government, including the conflict with the Premier which eventually lead to his redeployment to the Environment Department in 2000.
Brian Head describes being made the Public Service Commissioner in the new Beattie Government in 1998, and negotiating the employment of a number of CEOs under the changed (and perhaps weakened) definitions of merit based employment.
Brian Head discusses the sacking, redeployment and kitchen leave of senior public servants at the start of the Borbidge Government. He notes that because he could not be sacked, he was re-deployed to the Department of Main Roads at a lower pay level in 1996. He discusses Borbidge's re-appointment of many Bjelke-Petersen era public servants, and the public discontent with these actions.
Brian Head describes his reluctant decision to leave the Cabinet Office to head up the Public Sector Management Commission in 1994 and the work of the commission, including strategic human relations and industrial relations.
Brian Head discusses the public service gulag, and what he calls the political brutality of the early Goss years. He describes the policy limbo which he faced at the Premier's Department, noting that the new government did not trust the existing public servants, and discusses the reshaping of the section under Kevin Rudd in 1991.
Peter Beattie discusses the issue of daylight savings in Queensland and its lack of relevance in an increasingly globalised economy, and talks about conscience votes on contentious issues.
Peter Beattie talks about the need to placate the Queensland electorate by giving even the most radical policy the appearance of conservatism, including reforms to anti-discrimination legislation.
