Re: Ottawa damning LRT report
  Matthew Geier

On 4/12/22 10:33, Mark Skinner wrote:
> It would be interesting if the plaintiffs seeking damages from the NSW

> Government were to engage the commissioner who reported on this Ottawa

> line to critique the CSELR.

>

> Or...for the alternative government to promise a similar review "if we

> are elected" as part of the upcoming election campaign. A fairly cheap

> promise to implement, and the best chance of getting TfNSW to change

> positively.

>

The malaise is much deeper than just TfNSW and both major parties have
contributed to the significant dumbing down of the public service that
caused these problems. It's not just transport where the government
isn't an 'informed customer' anymore.

There is this unshakable belief that external consultants will be on
'your side' and the the vendor will 'do the right thing by you'. I've
experienced this sort of thing personally - where senior management have
effectively outsourced their jobs to consultants. When it goes right
they claim their large salaries and bonuses are worth it. When it goes
wrong - not my fault, the consultant gave the wrong advice. I assume
they still get their bonuses for keeping the departmental head counts down.

Really I don't know what we actually pay some of these managers to do,
their PA probably did most of the work engaging the consultants anyway.