17 December 2006

Mr Dennis Shanahan and
Mr Matthew Franklin
c/- The Australian

'Dr Death': the bean-counter

I noted your recent article suggesting that Kevin Rudd gained his 'Dr Death' reputation with public servants because of tight budgetary control under Queensland's Goss Government.

My interpretation of your article: Taking a cold shower was new Labor premier Goss's advice for supporters after ending 32 years of National Party Government in Queensland. New federal Labor leader, Kevin Rudd is now repeating this mantra. Party insiders see Goss's approach in 1988 and 1989 as the key to winning federal election. Both are social conservatives, bookish and have strategic acumen. Goss took a 'don't scare the horses' approach. The National Party regime had been weakened by the Fitzgerald inquiry. To win Goss had to pursue basic issues, not trendy concerns of the Left - and Rudd sees things the same way, eg that establishing economic credibility is critical. Rudd, like Goss, faces a conservative regime that had wedged Labor on left-wing issues. Howard now can best win by making it seem that Rudd is too risky. In Goss's case this meant pursuing economic development, job creation and education and resisting social reforms. Rudd's biggest threat is now seen to be the Labor Party. Rudd was head of Goss's cabinet office from 1991 to 1995 and was called Dr Death by public servants for his tight control of budgets - so will have no trouble offering fiscally conservative policies. Ex National Party premier Cooper argues that Rudd is following Goss's model - which failed when government was won because services could not be delivered properly. Ex ALP minister Wells believes that much of Goss rubbed off on Rudd - as both are highly motivated to do something about the social disadvantage they see. Paul Williams (Griffith University) believes that Goss era experience means Rudd will identify a small number of credible, costed policies to campaign on. It will all be about things that appeal to middle Australia (Franklin M. and Shanahan D., 'Rudd follows mentor's mantra', Weekend Australian, 16-17/12/06)

It will be interesting to see what those public servants who actually made up Rudd's 'Dr Death' nickname now have to say about your 'bean-counter' hypothesis.

The experience of the professional Public Service (up close and personal) with the Goss regime was that it was brutal and unjust (eg see The Growth of Public Service Bullying). One result was the creation of machinery of government for Queensland that was so highly politicized and centralized that it was, and remains, virtually unworkable (see Queensland's Worst Government?), as revealed by ongoing dysfunctions and crises (see Queensland's Challenge: A 2006 Report Card).

I personally have avoided trying to identify individuals to 'blame' for what went wrong, but have rather ascribed the problem to:

• the chronic weakness of Queensland's political establishment;
• the resulting ignorance and inexperience of all those charged with implementing 'reform';
• the effect of the traditional rorting practices of the AWU (the ALP's then dominant faction) in filling important political positions; and
• the apathy and desire for a quiet life which leads the community to 'turn a blind eye' to abuses of state power if they are not personally affected [added January 2007].

While it may be (as your article suggested) that it was only through tight budgetary control that Kevin Rudd alienated public servants and thus gained his 'Dr Death' label, this may well not be all that was involved given that (reportedly):

• as Chief of Staff to Wayne Goss Kevin Rudd was nicknamed 'Dr Death' for his brutal manner of dealing with difficult issues and difficult staff. (Cole M. 'Talking the talk', Courier Mail, 29/11/03);
• his positions as Premier Wayne Goss's chief of staff and then as secretary of cabinet placed him at the centre of power (Van Onselen P. and Errington W., 'Negative factors stacking up against Howard', Financial Review, 4/1/07);
• Rudd and other apparatchiks were seen to have more control in the notoriously centralised Goss administration than Cabinet [1] [added January 2007]; and
• "large sections of the ALP (had blamed) Dr Death for Labor's poor (1995) state election performance" (King M., 'Rudd learns to duck', Courier Mail, 25/1/05)

Clearly those who took closer note of the individuals responsible for abuses of power by the Goss regime will have the opportunity in 2007 to reveal what they know.

Other observers later suggested that Mr Rudd had gained his 'Dr Death' title for:

• his single minded purpose and (ruthless) style in running the Office of Cabinet. Also it was suggested that the Goss Government (under the guise of implementing the Fitzgerald reforms) had put in a political fix in favour of the Labor Party and tightly centralised control, rather than really achieving democratic reform. [1] [Added January 2007]
• closing 2200 hospital beds [1] [Added February 2007]

Regards

John Craig