Working Papers
The working papers collection comprises historical papers as well as current ideas and works in progress on some of the major issues and topics of our times.
Education and Training is one of the biggest departments of the NSW government. It has an annual budget of 9.3 billion of which just over 7 billion dollars was spent on 88,717 employees who earned a relatively modest average pay, about $44,000 per annum less that average pay of the employees of the Premiers Department. In our analysis Brad Hazzard and Minister Carmel Tebbutt performed equally well in a relatively high calibre policy contest.
The NSW Labor and the Liberal National Party clearly place no importance at all on the Arts. Neither party have released any policy document on the subject. This portfolio is seen simply as a sinecure. It is one of the disappointing aspects of NSW and Sydney culture that none of our serving politicians seem to understand the social, cultural and economic importance of the arts.
The Department of Environment has grown in importance as the era of climate change consolidates politically. It has been a matter of catch up to public opinion on the importance of the arena. Labor and the Liberal National Party are starting to place renewed emphasis on population wide measures.
The 4650 employees under the Attorney General have an average six figure salary and the department’s budget is $818,406 million. The court system has been overtaxed by the increased intrusion of mandatory sentencing as the politicians play law and order games.
Ageing and Disability is a 1.7 billion dollar department comprising 7635 employees 4925 in supported accommodation and 2711 in home care receiving the smallest renumeration of all of the NSW government departments representing about 31 per cent of the total budget.
The commerce portfolio is a sort of accumulation around John Della Bosca, it comprises the Office of Fair Trading, Industrial Relations, NSW Procurement and Public Works & Services. The budget is just under 600 million and 3296 people are employed in the portfolio. The sphere is a no new policy zone.
The Minister of Police has responsibility for 2.1 billion in expenditure and responsibility for 18,496 police employees including 15,206 police officers in NSW.
State Development is traditionally one of the important departments of government. Labor’s fightback to retain office was based around rebuilding the state through renewed spending on infrastructure and state economic services.
This, ironically, is just one of those portfolios that peforms some important services, but is underfunded and otherwise is there for political purposes and jingoistic malfeasance.
Barry O’Farrell has been a model of stability and credibility for the Liberals. Watkins has been very solid, if overworked, for the government.
