Mal Grierson discusses his relationship with the ministers for Public Works under the Borbidge Government, Ray Connor and David Watson and discusses other ministers including Ron McLean and John Greenwood.
Mal Grierson describes the heightened exposure to ministers in his role in the Administrative Services Department. And his relationship with ministers.
Mal Grierson describes the transition from working at CITEC to becoming a Deputy Director General. He notes that CITEC was largely removed from many other government departments and that he rarely met with his boss, the Deputy Treasurer; and neither did he meet ministers in this time. He discusses working with Justice Minister Bill Knox and John Greenwood Minister for Survey and Evaluation. He notes that computer technology was not high on Joh Bjelke-Petersen's political agenda.
Mal Grierson describes his appointment as the head of the Treasury Electronic Data Processing (EDP) branch, now known as CITEC, by Leo Hielscher without consulting his minister. He outlines the interface between the public service and political process, and notes that at the time IT was a very specialised field that few in cabinet would have knowledge of. He discusses the backgrounds of those in cabinet and their relationship to his field of expertise.
Ken Smith describes his working relationship with Anna Bligh. He details the administrative requirements of creating a cabinet following an election. He describes his work with the Public Service Commission in reducing the number of departments from twenty-four to thirteen and the subsequent reduction in directors general. He notes the implications this creation had for the relationship between the bureaucracy and ministers.
Ken Smith notes examples of problems between directors general and ministers. He notes the importance of having expertise and interest while working in a particular portfolio. He notes his own experiences of moving into different portfolios. He describes other examples of CEOs moving into different portfolios.
Ken Smith describes how he has worked with difficult directors general and the processes involved. He describes the professionalisation of the public service as a key turning point and the Queensland public service compared to other Australian states. He details the issues that sometimes arise between ministers and directors general.
Ken Smith describes the political process and his relationships to ministers outside his specific departments and how this changed when he became Director General of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. He notes his weekly meetings with directors general and his regular communication with ministers. He describes the regular meetings of cabinet that occur every week, and the routine of government.
John Strano discusses the Smart State by describing what he thought the Smart State was and that it was more than a rocks and crops economy. He also discusses the part he played in making the strategy happen, largely in facilitating investment. He goes on to note the cumbersome processes that crept into his job near the end of his time and the issue of briefing notes.
