The New Public Management in Australia

Abstract

This article examines the reform initiatives of Australian national governments in the context of the New Public Management (NPM). Three obvious phases of development have been evident. The first phase occurred during the early period of Hawke’s Prime Ministership of the trade-union focused, Australian Labor Party Government (ALPG) which came to power in 1983. Hawke adopted a moderate version of the NPM and was corporatist in approach. The second phase, commencing a year or so later, was influenced by Treasurer (and later Prime Minister) Keating, of the same government, who took a more fundamental NPM line, especially in terms of economic reform and public sector change. The third phase from 1996, led by Prime Minister Howard of the current, conservative (in spite of its name) Liberal-National Party Coalition Government (LNPCG) is more obviously ideological in its commitment to the NPM. These phases and reference to specific reforms will be outlined in this article, as will the academic responses to the adoption of the NPM in Australia. The relationship between theory and praxis will also be considered..