As the final days of the interminable beige campaign wind down, perhaps it is time to think about what changes are likely to be coming our way post-election?
It must be time then to play “Guess the MOG”.
What departments do you think will be up for the infamous Machinery of Government changes that keep Canberra’s office fitout and removalist businesses ticking over so nicely?
Murphy’s Law would have it that those most likely to get carved up would be those most recently moved into new consolidated premises? But maybe not.
And what about Environment? It’s faced the ignominy of having its leading environmental issues yanked off it – climate change, energy efficiency – leaving a shell of a once proud department. Surely Environment would be ripe for being rebuilt?
What about Resources, Energy and Tourism? Tourism in with mining? WTF? What chance it would be back with Industry?
(As a side issue, of course there’s the basic question of why the entire APS has to restructure – at great expense – to suit every cabinet change? It may be a simplistic comparison, but it doesn’t happen with each change at the ACT Government level. And it is being done to a degree – Water still lies with DEWHA but under a different minister.)
(As a further side issue, there’s the chance of Abbott getting up, and his “natural attrition” getting under way. Perhaps all bets are off then…)