Signature Dinner with Professor Glyn Davis AC

24 February 2026

A large number of members and guests were privileged to hear one of our members, Professor Glyn Davis AC address a deceptively simple but profoundly important question: What is the use of a public service? 

Drawing on his extensive experience across governments at state and federal levels – and recently retired as the head of the Australian Public Service – Glyn offered a clear, candid and engaging account of the processes of cabinet government, the interaction between ministers and officials, and the role and limitations of the public service within our democratic system.

What followed was a lively and thoughtful discussion, with members and guests posing challenging questions and exploring the realities of how decisions are made in government.

We are very rarely given a nuanced description of the way government actually works. It was an evening that left us all better informed — and better equipped — to think about effective governance.