Linda Apelt discusses some of the budgeting challenges within the social service portfolio and the process of priority setting and resource allocation.
Rod Welford discusses his relationship with stakeholders in his portfolios. He notes that Julia Gillard adopted his model of good education. He outlines his four c's of education - competence, creativity, character and citizenship.
Mike Horan describes work for the Gympie Turf Club to make money in the 1970s cattle crash, developing his skills of organising, managing and promoting. He notes some of the organisations he was part of and his role broadcasting on 4GY, contributing to his sense of community that would inform his political career.
Ruth Matchett comments that the Department of Family Services and Aboriginal and Islander Affairs was one of the larger ones (about 4000 staff) with several operations run 24 hours a day including, juvenile corrections facilities and services for people with intellectual disabilities. She discusses working with church and not-for-profit organisations to deliver services. She describes the long tradition of working with government and non-government agencies, and the value of community organisations bringing their own values and processes to the system.
Ruth Matchett describes working in the social policy research unit in the Department of Welfare Services and Sport in a sub-department of Children's Services. She was involved in policy from corrections to child and family welfare and women's issues. She was later involved in funding women's refuges in Queensland and moved from there to funding community organisations.
