PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION DEVELOPMENTS in AUSTRALIA: LESSONS an NPM LEADER MIGHT TODAY DRAW FROM NWS

Australian public administration has undergone a dramatic change over the last 50 years through a long series of incremental, pragmatic reforms. Australia was a leader in New Public Management in the 1980s and 1990s, subsequently incorporating New Public Governance measures of collaboration and networking. While some critics describe the transformation as “neo-liberalism”, this article favors the more neutral term, “managerialism”, recognizing its liberal aspects but challenging claims of rolling back the role of the state. Reflecting on the overall shift today, the author concludes that the measures delivered significant gains but were taken too far, and important balances were lost. Looking towards the future, this article calls for a major correction including reinvestment in the state, not necessarily as far as adoption of Pollitt and Bouckaert’s Neo-Weberian State, but drawing important lessons from that paradigm.