Government by Fiat

Government by Fiat puts the spotlight on the steadily diminishing accountability of Australia's state and federal governments to the electors they allegedly represent. - It looks at the many public-sector changes of the last two decades that have been directed by governments and which at the same time have made the same governments (and their ministers) less accountable for the delivery of government services. - Closely associated subject addressed by Government by Fiat is the ever-increasing determination by governments to keep secret their dealings with the private sector as 'commercial in confidence', and the broader issues of the privatisation and corporatisation of government agencies. - The book considers many contentious case studies including: - the Sydney Water's contamination scare, - the gas failures in Victoria, - electricity supply problems in Auckland, - the problems associated with the privatisation of parts of Victoria's ambulance service - and the changes by the Kennett Government to the office of Auditor-General in Victoria.