Civil servants are happy with the Dexter Government's methodical approach to policy because ministers are listening carefully to policy advice and deliberating before acting. But the issues keep coming, whether government's ready to act or not. The risk of Dexter's approach is that ministers may fall into reactive mode, moving from crisis to crisis rather than driving the new government's policy agenda. We have already seen Health Minister Maureen MacDonald struggling with the discovery that she cannot wish away the problem of rural emergency room closures, as she and the party assured voters they could during the election. (More on this soon.) Today,...

30 July, 2009