Dear Bazz,

Having worked at the Department of Community Services
in my early days and witnessed what went on in the
Child Protection Department in matters of child abuse -
I can only give you a
reply from my experiences. However, if that by
your standards is consdiered "weak," well, I guess that's
something I shall have to learn to live with.
Difficult as it may be.

PS: I hope that you notice that I don't tell you what I
think of your posts. ;-)

If I was the public servant, I would refuse to be party to it and pass it to my boss.
Bazz,
Spoken like a true public servant & if I were your boss I'd demand you make a decision or else.

Well Individual, I would say to my boss; "As I considered the risk
involved to myself, to you and the dept, I thought I should refer it
to you so you are aware of what is happening. Having informed you of
the situation and considering your response I will reply to the
applicants with my decision."
"I shall confirm this conversation in a memo to you."

Just having reread that, I think I missed my vocation !

Lexi, hmmm that is strange, I called you Lexi, are you one and the same ?

Foxy said;
PS: I hope that you notice that I don't tell you what I
think of your posts. ;-)

No I had not noticed, but please don't be shy, not that you ever
struck me as being shy.

I did once serve as an appointment advisor for that dept and was put
under pressure to not approve one candidate who previously worked in
that branch and moved for family reasons and wanted to come back.
The personnel report was quite good, was well qualified and in the
Northern Territory had experience with troubled aboriginal families.

When I asked why I was being steered away I got no real answer.
I gave my OK for that lady but as I was only one opinion I don't know
what the result was. She was far and away the best qualified.
I was never asked to advise again.

Bazz,
you sound like my boss, not capable of making a decision. What are you there for if I have to do it myself ? The reason you have the position is because of your resume which says you're capable but now you tell me you can't do it. I say go & get smoko for all of us.
This is so typical a scenario now & that's why the whole of the public service has become such an expensive waste of money.
People get a position & before they can actually function properly they already apply for another. There doesn't seem to be a system based on ability & competence. There is a word for that. It's called the Peter Principle.

Foxy, a thoughtful and a most incisive post. One of your best.
"apply the same strict criteria to all couples wanting to adopt" How fair and equitable that is, so refreshing. Unfortunately at the very next counter we have Mr Bazz also dealing with an adoptive couple Neal and Colin, he has just waved Steve and Jan on their way with a big congrats on their new adopted baby he just approved. Now for this pair of P#@%$@S "on ya bike fellas no P's allowed."
Do I detect an undertone that some would suggest that gays are pedophiles from "charge you with incompetence or worse for what happened to him" What did happen to him, Bazz?
Bazz said "If I was the public servant, I would refuse to be party to it and pass it to my boss." Is that because you are homophobic or just a buck passer?

Indi, these days I'm sort of a part time "public servant" and I make little decisions which effect people, some times adversely, boy do some get upset, even yell and scream at me, I've had gay people say something like "are you saying that because my partner is Fred!" "No mate, nothing to do with it, sorry you don't meet the necessaries, bad luck.." I do that all the time, and most people are accepting but a few make a fuss, just human nature." Your right, if you have to make decisions that affect others adversely, and its your job, you make them, and so be it."