Blast from the past

An ex-colleague just told me that the head of the division within the Australian Government department where I used to work has just been made Chief of Staff to the new Labor Minister. It was only after I heard this news I realized just how similar this division head is to Kevin Rudd. Like Rudd he is a short, bespectacled, softly-spoken man with the particular skill of being able to say very little with a lot of words. Like Rudd his speeches can put you to sleep. I worked in one of the more controversial policy areas of the previous government and the common sentiment was that this particular division head failed to provide any sense of direction both professionally and in terms of policy. I hope this past experience is not portentous!