A functional public service with integrity has to be about more than policing personal power and profit. What do we want from our public service, and how can we reclaim it as something for all of us?

Like most people, I find the mere thought of surviving a global pandemic only to enter into a global war too horrid to deeply contemplate. But a war involving nuclear-armed superpowers would certainly impact us all, whether we feel inclined to contemplate it or not…. 

Has the public service lost its mojo? Are we too caught up in judging policy by its short-term effect on the budget bottom line, instead of its holistic effect on society? And do public servants exist to serve the government of the day, or the Australian public? Millie had the pleasure of listening to some of our country’s most senior current and retired public servants air these ideas, in a fascinating and candid conversation about public service for the public good.

Meet Dr Wesley Watkins. He calls jazz a philosophy, a way of life. Like democracy, it’s one that strives to reconcile the tension between our differences into some kind of greater whole.

“The greatest currency or asset we have is our attention, is our capacity to be truly present, to be with people, to sit with them in the mud.” Toni Hassan is a Walkley-award winning journalist, visual artist, parent and the author of the book, ‘Families in the Digital Age’. Here are three things Lily’s learnt from Toni…

Millie attended Empowered Communities: Next Steps, the Community Independents Convention and she’s still buzzing… Celebratory, humble, collaborative and fun, Millie reflects on some of the key themes about how the community Independents are doing democracy differently.

‘Together we can.’ Even better: together we already are, according to campaigner and climate communicator Claire O’Rourke, who’s just released a new book about ‘everyday Australians doing amazing things to give our planet a future.’ Here are three things Lily’s learnt from Claire…

What if we can take this opportunity of a newly elected government... in all its ongoing peril and possibility, to galvanise around a new ‘why’, that speaks to universal needs and human motivations? What if we can find a way to articulate that the individual issues we care about are really just pieces of the same solution?

Here we are, on the other side of Australia’s most transformative election in a generation. It’s a new dawn for climate action, for integrity, for respecting women, listening to community and remaking democracy. Lily Spencer reflects on what has happened and how we now start to lead from the front.

Words are powerful, particularly at election time. Three word slogans shape debate and lies become understood as truths if they are repeated often enough. To create an agenda for the public good we need to recognise the power of words and use them to our advantage…

What would it look like to have a budget for the public good?
Think of the things the government could be budgeting for that would help us here: no new coal or gas and a serious approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions; proper staffing ratios in arenas that truly matter like healthcare, education and social services; safe and secure housing for everyone; retrofitted buildings and landscapes that are climate positive and robust in the face of disaster.

Imagine waking up and knowing that if you lose your job, health, family, you’ll be cared for. That there would still be meaningful (not de-meaningful) ways for you to connect with others, and that your contributions to society will be supported and validated. That would be freedom…

As a woman of colour and culture my artistic activism voice is creating culturally safe spaces for people of colour. I held space for women of colour to talk and to create art as they discussed what public good means to them. We talked about belonging, cultural safety, the importance of fun and so much more...

What is the purpose of our public institutions? How do they best serve us as a community? And in this time of disruption and restructure, can we remember to look beyond the glossy reports and key performance indicators to true purpose?

Goosebumps. They’re one of my favourite parts of this job. The moment when I’m chatting to some inspiring person and they tell me a small anecdote that brings to life the beauty and the humanness of the work that they do.

A vision is like a kite, high up in the sky. But what tethers it to earth – to people and their lived experiences; and to our collective sense of power and agency? If the vision is the kite, where is the string?

Faith, like salt should add flavour rather than dominate. A fascinating conversation about the public good with members of the Uniting Church.

Gloucester is a town full of people who know all about the public good and how to provide it. Whether it’s supporting community members through life’s ups and downs, helping to secure a safe climate future by fighting off a coal mine, or running their Sustainable Futures Convention, Gloucester is a small town with a big impact…