Ministerial Careers and Accountability in the Australian Commonwealth Government

Abstract

Accountability for government action and inaction has always been central to the study of government in political science and public administration. In Westminster systems such as Australia's, the heart of academic and media discussion lies in the issue of ministerial accountability. Traditionally the idea behind the Westminster system is that whilst civil servants advise and administer policy, their public face is their minister, who promotes policy and defends department action in parliament and in public. Naturally this directs public attention to ministers and to the processes by which ministers and, through them, public servants are held to account. The manner in which ministers are chosen, how they see their jobs and how they do their jobs are thus key aspects of the governmental and accountability processes. This book examines the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of Australian Commonwealth cabinet ministers. We will examine what sorts of jobs ministers do, what is expected of them and what they expect of the job. We will examine how they (are supposed to) work together as a team. We will consider aspects of how they are chosen to become ministers, how they are scrutinised by parliament and to some extent by the media, and how ministers view the accountability mechanisms themselves. Subsequent chapters will then explore what the public often considers to be the heart of ministerial accountability: the issues that lead to calls for them to resign. We examine in some detail scandals around ministers. Our final chapter assesses ministerial accountability. This first chapter will examine the roles that ministers are asked to perform and establishes some background theory. We consider the traditional constitutional account of responsibility as well as positive theories about how we can expect accountability mechanisms to work in practice. We explore issues that prime ministers might take into account when choosing ministers and when releasing them from their duties. The chapter performs most of these tasks by reflecting upon and introducing the more detailed accounts to be found in the chapters that follow.