The appearance in recent weeks of several media reports critical of the Prime Minister's demanding work ethic and skeptical of the new government's policy agenda may reflect the residual influence of attitudes prevalent during the Howard era.
The electorate has given the Rudd Government a clear mandate for major national reform. The government has a unique opportunity to capitalise on a high level of community goodwill, and widespread expectations for positive change.
However, aspects of the political environment that evolved during the Howard era have the potential to thwart reforms, and will need to be overcome if the government is to successfully advance a progressive agenda.
The last years of the Howard era were typified by reactive short-term politics, adversarial confrontation, polarisation and a resistance to transparency. In the end the level of cynicism within the community was high, and the integrity of publicly elected representatives was diminished.
The Howard era saw an unprecedented concentration of power and political authority at the apex of government. The politics of personality and the intense focus on key individuals can undoubtedly have great political benefits in terms of maintaining control and communicating a single message. But in a complex and rapidly evolving world the level of pressure on an individual to perform flawlessly is unrealistic and ultimately unsustainable.
Apart from being incompatible with democratic principles and proper checks and balances, the centralisation of authority is invariably at the cost of organisational growth and modernisation, capacity-building and succession.
There are more viable, sustainable and contemporary models of political authority than the present Australian focus on relentlessly undermining individuals. Labor has expressed a desire to move beyond a rancorous political environment to place greater emphasis on shared goals and the development of collaborative solutions.
The government has a unique opportunity to engender an ongoing dialogue about the sorts of ideals, values, principles and practices that underpin an effective and contemporary democracy and an inclusive society.
In addition to redefining the broader political and policy context, the Prime Minister needs to devolve authority (and accountability) to a wide range of talented representatives, in particular ministers, senior public service representatives and co-opted partners in the public and private sectors.
The development of independent and diverse perspectives can be a virtue and central to transparent evidence-based decision making. The Prime Minister is then free to play a genuine leadership role as a facilitator and catalyst to inspire the