Terms of Trust: Arguments over Ethics in Australian Government

John Uhr ,
9780868406398, UNSW Press, April 2005, 240pp, PB , 210x148mm
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Terms of Trust is the first book-length analysis of the role of ethics in Australian government. It scrutinises what actually happens in practice against the democratic theory, and identifies the strengths and weaknesses of public-sector ethics.

About the Author(s)

Now a senior academic at the Australian National University, author John Uhr has worked as a parliamentary staffer and public servant, has served as secretary of a number of Senate committees, and has been a consultant to many Australian governments and international organisations. He has a long-held interest in issues of ethics and public policy, and is now regarded internationally as an authority on this subject.

His previous books include Deliberative Democracy in Australia (1998) and The Case for Yes: The 1999 Republic Referendum (1999).

Detailed Description

National opinion polls tell us that public trust in Australia’s governments and our political leasdership is now at an all-time low. Shaken by years of broken promises, political spin, shady deals, obfuscation, and even brazen lies, many observers consider the condition terminal.

According to John Uhr the situation is certainly serious, though not irretrievable, and immediate thought needs to be given to finding ways by which our political leaders can re-earn the confidence of the community. In Terms of Trust John Uhr poses, and answers, some fundamental questions about our governments’ leadership:

How can we make political leadership compatible with ethical leadership?
How relevant is personal character to public life?
Why do we need to widen the scope of ‘leadership’ to include all public officials and not just those at the top?
How can citizens become more informed about the extent of government trustworthiness?

With such questions in mind, Australians can now get down to business and spell out the ‘terms of trust’ compatible with the exceptional high hopes – but also the everyday low practices – of our democracy.

Terms of Trust is the first book-length analysis of the role of ethics in Australian government. It scrutinises what actually happens in practice against the democratic theory, and identifies the strengths and weaknesses of public-sector ethics.

Each chapter opens with a topical cartoon by award-winning cartoonist Geoff Pryor of The Canberra Times.

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