What does effective public administration look like when political complexity, competing priorities and a national crisis collide? 

On Tuesday 20 October, 200 guests gathered at the Australian War Memorial for the 2026 IPAA ACT Hypothetical: Fragmented government, rising threats: The public service in 2030. 

Moderated by former host of Q&A Tony Jones, the event brought together an exceptional panel featuring Professor the Hon. Bill Shorten, Tony Cook PSM, Letitia Hope, Zoe Daniel, Professor the Hon. George Brandis KC, Professor Deborah Blackman and Andrew Tongue PSM. 

Set in a fictional Australia governed by a three-party coalition, the hypothetical challenged panellists to navigate competing political priorities, shifting government expectations and an escalating national crisis involving an autonomous AI platform. 

The scenario provided a compelling backdrop to explore the pressures facing the public service and the leadership, judgement and capability required to navigate them. 

Held under the Chatham House Rules, the discussion offered valuable perspectives on the responsibilities of public administration. While individual contributions remain unattributed, six themes provide important reflections for public servants today. 

1. Trust is fundamental to effective government: Strong relationships between ministers and the public service are essential, particularly during political transitions and periods of uncertainty. Building trust early, understanding ministerial expectations and demonstrating the public service’s capacity to adapt create the foundations for frank advice and effective decision-making. 
2. Good judgement requires both urgency and courage: When circumstances demand immediate action, decisions cannot always wait for perfect information. But acting quickly must not come at the expense of sound judgement. Effective public administration requires the confidence to challenge assumptions, provide difficult advice and recognise when the pace or scale of change creates risks.
3. Keep people at the centre of government decisions: Behind every policy decision, service disruption or government response are people whose lives may be directly affected. Understanding the scale and consequences of an issue, communicating clearly with those affected and balancing immediate action with longer-term solutions are critical to maintaining public trust.
4. Good policy is only as effective as its implementation: Policy development and service delivery cannot be treated as separate considerations. Understanding operational realities, testing assumptions and drawing on the expertise of those responsible for implementation help ensure that government decisions translate into effective outcomes for the community.
5. Look beyond organisational boundaries: Complex challenges rarely sit neatly within departmental responsibilities. Effective responses require collaboration across portfolios, engagement with central agencies and a willingness to seek advice beyond familiar areas of expertise. The capacity to work across government becomes particularly important when priorities are shifting, and decisions have consequences across multiple portfolios.
6. Stewardship matters most under pressure: Public servants have a responsibility that extends beyond immediate political and operational demands.  Maintaining integrity, providing impartial advice and acting within established legal and ethical frameworks remain essential, particularly when circumstances are difficult. Ultimately, the decisions public servants make have real consequences for Australians. That responsibility should remain central to how government operates. 

Looking ahead 

While the hypothetical imagined the public service in 2030, the questions it raised are relevant today. 

How do we strengthen the relationships, capabilities and systems needed to navigate uncertainty? How can public servants balance urgency with principled advice? And how do we ensure effective government delivery remains focused on the people it serves? 

Our sincere thanks to Tony Jones, our panellists, event partners and everyone who joined us for an evening of challenging scenarios and valuable reflection on the future of public administration. 

Thank you to our Premier Series Partner Holding Redlich

Thank you to our Series Partner Sententia