John Lloyd
And thus perhaps the most eccentric appointment of the Tony Abbott era ends with a whimper following the announcement that John Lloyd will be stepping down as head of the Australian Public Service Commission. Lloyd is an industrial relations warrior and former Institute of Public Affairs ideologue, and most recently earned a stonking $670,000 a year to head what is basically the HR department of the public service. Job description: support the government’s efforts to cut public service pay, issue draconian attacks on free speech and, it seems, help your old mates at the IPA out with a bit of research.
Honestly, who can blame Lloyd for chatting with his IPA pals, griping about Penny Wong and doing his bit to help the IPA’s war on whatever their donors designate as a target? He must have been bored rigid. I’m a former public servant and even I have no idea what the 200-odd staff of the APSC actually do other than count other public servants, but I would have liked to be paid $670,000 a year to find out. Certainly it doesn’t have anything to do with improving the overall quality of the public service, which in terms of competence is at a nadir unseen in living memory. With only further estimates grillings, and counting his money, to look forward too, it’s understandable that he pulled the pin.
But the enduring mystery is why Lloyd was ever appointed to the role remains, unless it was a kind of thank-you from Tony Abbott for his years of loyal service in attacking the CFMEU when he headed the early, funny version of the Australian Building and Construction Commission — that’s the one that abducted and questioned people who might have been walking past a building site when something untoward happened, then threatened to jail them if they revealed what had been done to them, while deaths in the construction industry spiked. Still, can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs, etc.
Lloyd will depart in two months; on current form, the serious question of whether he used taxpayer resources to help his IPA cobbers won’t even be close to being answered; various bureaucrats are still working out whether to even conduct an investigation. From the bureaucracy that gave us the epic Roman Quaedvlieg inquiry, now comes a new, months-long saga of the investigation into whether to have an investigation into Lloyd. If he was sent in to rid the APS of its risk-averse, process-obsessed ways, he was a clear failure.
Let’s be honest here, the Libs have real form when it comes to employing shonks & outright crooks to head up their various departments & Commissions. Dyson Heydon was a Liberal Party stooge who felt no qualms addressing a Liberal Party fundraiser right in the middle of the TURC. Roman Quaedvlieg was engaged in sexual harassment & abuse of his position (sacked, eventually). Nigel Hadgkiss was appointed head of the ABCC in *spite* of being knowingly in breach of the Fair Work Act……& now this! Where does the corruption end?
Where does it end?
We’ll ask the PM after he’s finished lobbying the ANU V-C on behalf of a private foundation.
“Public servant”? That’s funny.
“on current form, the serious question of whether he used taxpayer resources to help his IPA cobbers won’t even be close to being answered”
And don’t worry, after this article all the Canberra press gallery won’t take any steps to chase up the question either.
In fact as the article says he’s quitting as he can’t face the senate estimates inquiries.
“But the enduring mystery is why Lloyd was ever appointed to the role remains, unless it was a kind of thank-you from Tony Abbott for his years of loyal service in attacking the CFMEU when he headed the early, funny version of the Australian Building and Construction Commission — that’s the one that abducted and questioned people who might have been walking past a building site when something untoward happened, then threatened to jail them if they revealed what had been done to them, while deaths in the construction industry spiked. ”
Craven, venal and systemically corrupt, the Coalition.
Public Servant? When you rake in over $650,000 per annum, methinks you aren’t really there to serve the public, so much as to fleece them.
Ad consistent with the governments outsourcing to Serco – another 1000 jobs to the private contractor to be filled in the Centrelink domain. No more dedicated staff either to serve you about the NDIS, Medicare claims at the Centrelink office. The skeleton staffs at Centrelink now deal with it all. Understaffed and abused by those who are unaware that it’s government policy to not serve the public, no more public service there either!
” Lloyd is an industrial relations warrior and former Institute of Public Affairs ideologue, and most recently earned a stonking $670,000 a year to head what is basically the HR department of the public service. Job description: support the government’s efforts to cut public service pay, issue draconian attacks on free speech and, it seems, help your old mates at the IPA out with a bit of research.”
Another bit of filth is levered off the public teat after being outed for using his Abbott appointed position to spy on Labor MP’s and inform his masters at the IPA.