Civic Punks

Right now, it feels like we are in a moment focused on austerity. Governments everywhere are cutting their workforce, but is there a danger with this? Nick Scott thinks so. In his recent article, "Why Budget Cuts Without Resource Reallocation Rarely Transforms Systems" he argues that when cuts are rushed or made across the board we end up not with more efficient government but with crappy government. But he also has a solution, invest in reforming the pipes of government. Read the full article here: https://www.shiftflow.ca/ideas/budget-cuts-rarely-transform-systems

Darwin, Adelaide and Sydney are now in the books. Lots of great conversations with super-inspiring Civic Punks. What is sitting with me? Temples, Cuts and Farmer! What does that mean? You will need to watch to find out.

Victoria is at a turning point. Before Government Innovation Week begins, here’s what actually matters: the forces shaping the agenda and what to watch for. Featuring Ross Ashman (PSN Co-Founder) on why this moment matters.

Pia Andrews is one of my all-time favourite Civic Punks, so I jumped at the chance to sit down with her and hear what 3 articles have most shaped her thinking:
Death Sentence by Don Watson: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/death-sentence-9780143790983
Tim O'Reilly - Government as a Platform: https://shorturl.at/A8zxG
 

Gian Durán shares a key insight from his PhD research in this week's Now You Know. He argues that we are not using the term innovation properly. When we say innovation, we mean one of three things: Rennovation, Innovation or Transformation.
 
You can read his full article here: https://futuregovforum.substack.com/p/change-is-plural-and-that-should

In another episode of Rent Free—the series where I ask people which ideas live rent free in their heads—I sit down with Charles Mcivor to talk about the article that has most shaped his thinking: “The Housing Theory of Everything.”
Written by John Myers, Sam Bowman, and Ben Southwood, the piece explores how housing affordability quietly shapes everything from economic growth to inequality to politics.
It’s one of those ideas that, once you see it, you start noticing it everywhere.
You can read the article here: https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-housing-theory-of-everything/
Charles also writes a fantastic daily newsletter on innovation: https://innovationinthenews.substack.com/

Government today is full of tensions. Move fast… but protect democratic accountability. Experiment with new ideas… but keep critical systems stable. Use powerful new technologies… that we don’t fully understand yet. In a fascinating paper called “Signals from Apolitical Day,” the States of Change network looked for patterns emerging from conversations with public servants around the world. What they found was a picture of governments operating under seven powerful forces — speed, complexity, emotional pressure, politicisation, conflict, identity shifts, and rising expectations. But the most interesting insight wasn’t the forces themselves. It was the tensions public servants are navigating every day. In this podcast I break down the key ideas from the paper and explore what they reveal about the moment governments are in right now. If you care about public service, policy, or how governments adapt to a rapidly changing world, this is a conversation worth having. In this podcast • The 7 forces reshaping government today • Why the speed of change is outpacing the reflexes of government • How complex problems are pushing institutions into new territory • The emotional weight many public servants are carrying right now • Why innovation in government is really about navigating tensions • The emerging capabilities governments need to operate in uncertainty • Why institutions may need to learn and adapt in real time Read the original article Signals from Apolitical Day — States of Change 👉 https://states-of-change.org/stories/signals-from-apolitical-day-2025
 

AI is dramatically challenging governments all over the world. Singapore is on the leading edge of this. How are they thinking about AI in Government? What can we learn from them? I reference this fantastic podcast by Ezra Klein on AI, definitely check it out as well: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6obzprTBpR6MosWu5vsua5?si=44ede13d15054d71

I am finally starting to wrap my head around my time in Singapore. It was a week jam-packed full of conversations with people at the centre of reimaging government, and also those who are rebelling against government and building something different on the fringes. There will be more to come, but here are my earliest thoughts.