Three rules for young staffers – and a better Canberra

Rules are awesome.

They are a safety net that minimises risk to ourselves and to others. They give us a map when in uncharted territory. They give us a way to decide on issues that’s beyond the limitations of our often flawed, stressed or fragile ego’s. They are meant to reflect our beliefs and values and how we allocate resources around them as a society or organisation.

When designed well, rules reduce uncertainty, arbitrariness and inequity.

Having been a staffer, campaigner and candidate in and around politics for around 17 years, when I’ve been reading the news out of Canberra the last few weeks, I’ve thought about a whole system’s lack of clarity or even failure around rule-making and rule-respecting.

It is of…