Terry Hogan

Interviewed by
Brian Head and Chris Salisbury
Jan 10 2013
Terry Hogan
Time Summary Keywords
00:00:00

Terry Hogan describes his early life and schooling in Cowra in central New South Wales. He traces his family's relocation in the mid-1960s to Grafton in the state's north, and his later moves to Canberra and then to Armidale to undertake tertiary studies at the University of New England. He remembers working as a research assistant at UNE when in 1975 the Whitlam Government was dismissed.

University of New England, Whitlam Government 1972-75
00:03:02

Terry Hogan recalls his move back to Canberra in 1981 to take up the position of research officer with the Treasury Department in the Commonwealth Public Service. He outlines the public service roles he held over the following seven years, rising to the position of Assistant Departmental Secretary. He describes moving back to Grafton in 1988 with his young family to start up a small business.

Commonwealth Public Service, Treasury
00:04:00

Terry Hogan remembers the interest in Grafton at the Goss Government coming to office in Queensland in late 1989. He describes taking up a position in 1990 with the newly created Public Sector Management Commission, and his eventual role there as a review manager.

Goss Government 1989-96, Leo Keliher, Public Sector Management Commission, Susan Porter
00:06:18

Terry Hogan compares his experiences of public sector reform under the Hawke federal government in the 1980s and the Goss Government in Queensland in the 1990s. He comments on perceptions of politicisation of the public service, and notes the recurrence of this under the recently elected Newman Government. He recalls the lack of policy capacity in many government departments, and how the PSMC attempted to encourage a more policy coordinated public sector.

David Shand, Glyn Davis, Goss Government 1989-96, Hawke Government, Peter Coaldrake, policy development, Public Sector Management Commission, public sector reform
00:10:30

Terry Hogan describes his role as a review manager in the PSMC, including undertaking a review of the Treasury Department. He notes that while some departments resisted change, others saw benefit in working with the review process.

budget process, Cabinet Office, Dick Persson, Goss Government 1989-96, housing, Housing Department, Ken Smith, Local Government Department, Premier's Department, public sector reform, Tom Burns, Treasury
00:14:36

Terry Hogan talks about his work during the review of the Queensland school curriculum led by Professor Ken Wiltshire between 1993 and 1994. He notes the key role that Kevin Rudd played in defining the review's objectives. He also talks about his later move into a directorial position within the Housing Department.

Dick Persson, housing, Housing Department, Ken Wiltshire, Kevin Rudd, Mike Ahern, Residential Tenancies Act 1994
00:16:53

Terry Hogan recalls taking the position of general manager with the newly expanded Residential Tenancies Authority in 1995. He outlines the responsibilities he assumed, including implementing new housing policies and tenancy guidelines and the administration of rental bonds. He notes that one-third of Queensland's housing market is made up of rentals.

housing, Residential Tenancies Authority, Ted Howard, Terry Mackenroth
00:20:32

Terry Hogan describes the changes he experienced as RTA manager when Rob Borbidge's coalition took office in 1996, including working with new Housing Ministers. He recalls the reaction of several senior executives to the stripping back of policy coordination systems put in place during the Goss years.

Borbidge Government 1996-98, David Watson, Housing Department, policy development, public sector reform
00:24:59

Terry Hogan talks about appointments to public service positions, and the advent of merit- and equity-based appointments during the Goss years. He mentions his experiences of applying for positions within Queensland's public service, including successfully with the RTA.

equity, Glyn Davis, merit based selection, Public Sector Management Commission, Residential Tenancies Authority
00:26:47

Terry Hogan reflects on the changes to his own working circumstances when Peter Beattie won office in 1998. He recalls being approached to head a policy coordination division within the Premier's Department, resuming some of the operations of the Office of the Cabinet. He describes his work chairing a Native Title taskforce for the premier.

Agforce, Cabinet Office, Glyn Davis, Keating Government, land rights, mining, minority government, Native Title, Peter Beattie, Peter Wellington, policy development, Premier's Department, prostitution, public sector reform
00:33:46

Terry Hogan speaks about the Beattie Government's reforms to prostitution laws. He notes that impetus for these changes came about partly through Community Cabinet meetings, and goes on to detail other significant issues that were the focus of these public forums.

Beattie Government 1998-2007, Community Cabinets, environment issues, One Nation, Pauline Hanson, Peter Beattie, prostitution
00:39:46

Terry Hogan outlines his move from the Premier's Department in 1999 to become Director General of the Natural Resources Department. He states that this shift was tied to the government's moves to halt broad-scale tree clearing in Queensland's western rural land holdings. He details some of the industry groups and figures that he negotiated with over this issue.

Agforce, climate change, CSIRO, environment issues, farming practices, John Howard, Kyoto protocols, Larry Acton, Natural Resources Department, Peter Beattie, Peter Kenny, Primary Industries and Fisheries, Rod Welford, water policy
00:48:33

Terry Hogan describes the tensions that existed between the Departments of Natural Resources and Environment & Heritage when Rod Welford was Minister for both portfolios. He speaks about chairing an intergovernmental committee dealing with state and federal interests in resource management.

Environment and Heritage, environment issues, John Howard, Natural Resources Department, Peter Beattie, Rod Welford, Warren Truss
00:53:56

Terry Hogan outlines the administrative changes when the Mines Department was added to Natural Resources in 2001. He describes the complexity of the Beattie Government's early interest in developing coal seam gas as a resource commodity.

climate change, coal seam gas, CSIRO, mining, Native Title, Natural Resources Department, water policy
00:58:57

Terry Hogan compares the relationships between departmental heads and their Ministers at both the state and federal levels of government. He notes that while Commonwealth department heads typically dealt more in strategic policy, they tended to be more removed from practical application of policy than their state counterparts. He also comments on the relative quality of Ministers at state and federal levels, and on the introduction of ways to encourage policy coordination.

Cabinet Office, Commonwealth Public Service, policy development, Public Sector Management Commission, relationship with ministers, relationship with public service
01:09:26

Terry Hogan describes the performance-based contracts that department heads were offered by Premier Beattie. He notes that Ministers were offered similar arrangements to reach performance targets during a particular year or term of the government. He considers that the bonus payments tied to these targets was a mistaken way to provide incentive.

Beattie Government 1998-2007, executive salaries, Peter Beattie
01:11:15

Terry Hogan discusses his involvement in the beginnings of the Smart State period, when he headed a policy development unit in the Premier's Department. He observes that the strategy began as a political slogan representing what the Beattie Government wanted to stand for. He notes that the Newman Government has gone through a similar branding exercise, albeit with more traditional economic objectives.

Beattie Government 1998-2007, biotechnology, Chuck Feeney, Clive Berghofer, David Hamill, Glyn Davis, medical research, Newman Government 2012-, Peter Beattie, Premier's Department, Primary Industries and Fisheries, Richard Branson, Smart State, State Development Department
01:16:07

Terry Hogan outlines education reforms that coincided with the early phase of the Smart State strategy. He recalls that some education initiatives of this period were proposed earlier during the Goss years. He adds that Smart State helped build stronger relationships between the government and universities.

Brian Head, culture wars, education, education reform, Glyn Davis, Goss Government 1989-96, Griffith University, policy development, Research and Development, Sustainable Minerals Institute, Terry Moran, universities
01:23:09

Terry Hogan describes how the issue of water management stirred public debate when he headed the Natural Resources Department. He notes that water storage infrastructure and water availability have perennially been policy problems for the Queensland government.

drought, Natural Resources Department, water infrastructure, water policy
01:27:34

Terry Hogan recalls his move in 2005 from the public service to the Brisbane City Council. He describes the differences in organisational culture between the state government and the council. He outlines the council's responses to water scarcity and the provision of essential services.

Brisbane City Council, Campbell Newman, Jude Munro, Natural Resources Department, policy development, South East Queensland, Stephen Robertson, water infrastructure, water policy
01:36:54

Terry Hogan reflects on his departure in 2008 from the BCC, and comments on the perceptions of politicisation of both the council and the state's public service.

Campbell Newman
01:40:56

Terry Hogan recalls what he considers his proudest achievements in his time in the public service. He ponders whether there might have been different outcomes to some issues if he'd stayed longer in the public service.

Beattie Government 1998-2007, Goss Government 1989-96, Natural Resources Department, universities
01:46:41

Interview ends