The revelations in the Nine newspapers that Mike Pezzullo, secretary of the powerful Home Affairs department, shared with Liberal Party powerbroker Scott Briggs are certainly extraordinary. But, just like the revelations about robodebt from the royal commission, they must not be treated as an isolated case but as evidence of serious systemic problems in the Australian Public Service (APS).
So what is expected from public servants in terms of their relationship with government? The answer is in the Public Service Act, which states secretaries - those at the very top of each department - must uphold and promote the APS Values and Employment Principles. One of those values is impartiality: "The APS is apolitical and provides the government with advice that is frank, honest, timely and based on the best available evidence."
