Prime Minister Hawke perceived there to be a substantial imbalance in the distribution of power and influence in the executive, towards permanent rather than elected political officials (Halligan, 2013, 115), and viewed advisers as the key tool to overcome this imbalance and regain control over the bureaucracy (Maley, 2002, 104). To achieve this, The Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 was put in place, which enabled ministers to employ a person external to the public service as a consultant or adviser, with the approval of the Prime Minister. This Act provided empowerment of ministers through the induction of advisers while preserving the neutrality of the Public Service through clearly defined managerial roles (Halligan, 2013). This allowed tighter political control over objectives and results through greater managerial autonomy (Mulgan, 2010,
Prime Minister Hawke perceived there to be a substantial imbalance in the distribution of power and influence in the executive, towards permanent rather than elected political officials (Halligan, 2013, 115), and viewed advisers as the key tool to overcome this imbalance and regain control over the bureaucracy (Maley, 2002, 104). To achieve this, The Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 was put in place, which enabled ministers to employ a person external to the public service as a consultant or adviser, with the approval of the Prime Minister. This Act provided empowerment of ministers through the induction of advisers while preserving the neutrality of the Public Service through clearly defined managerial roles (Halligan, 2013). This allowed tighter political control over objectives and results through greater managerial autonomy (Mulgan, 2010,