The Ministerial Advisership
Ministerial advisers have become an integral component in the relationship between Australian ministers and Senior Public Servants (Maley, 2011). Initially introducted by the Whitlam government in 1972 due to perceived imbalances in ministerial power (Eichbaum & Shaw, 2010, 96), the function and presence of ministerial advisers has significantly expanding, and is now widely recognized as an important feature of the executive process (OECD, 2011). The adviser’s role is highly varied, dependent on factors such as political or social context, the leadership style of their ministers, and the attitude of the departments they are affiliated with (Maley, 2011, 1470). In its simplest form, the adviser role may be defined as an independent, partisan source of advice for ministers on departmental outputs regarding political affairs (Eichbaum & Shaw, 2007, 454). Advisers also serve an important function to the Australian Public Service (APS)
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Prime Minister Hawke perceived there to be a substantial imbalance in the distribution of power and influence in the executive, towards permanent rather than elected political officials (Halligan, 2013, 115), and viewed advisers as the key tool to overcome this imbalance and regain control over the bureaucracy (Maley, 2002, 104). To achieve this, The Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 was put in place, which enabled ministers to employ a person external to the public service as a consultant or adviser, with the approval of the Prime Minister. This Act provided empowerment of ministers through the induction of advisers while preserving the neutrality of the Public Service through clearly defined managerial roles (Halligan, 2013). This allowed tighter political control over objectives and results through greater managerial autonomy (Mulgan, 2010,
Prime Minister Hawke perceived there to be a substantial imbalance in the distribution of power and influence in the executive, towards permanent rather than elected political officials (Halligan, 2013, 115), and viewed advisers as the key tool to overcome this imbalance and regain control over the bureaucracy (Maley, 2002, 104). To achieve this, The Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 was put in place, which enabled ministers to employ a person external to the public service as a consultant or adviser, with the approval of the Prime Minister. This Act provided empowerment of ministers through the induction of advisers while preserving the neutrality of the Public Service through clearly defined managerial roles (Halligan, 2013). This allowed tighter political control over objectives and results through greater managerial autonomy (Mulgan, 2010,