Part 2 of 4 on Mad Cow Disease: In this episode, the cracks in enforcement are showing, panic is slowly boiling, and the science is catching up.

What we cover:

• The panic spike when BSE appears in domestic cats
• The danger of stopping at the legislation, without interrogating whether industry is complying and how you would know.
• The reassurance cycle – shock, anxiety, reassurance, repeat, and whether the Government could or should have said more.
• The political landscape of EU export pressure, an era of deregulation, and expensive subsidies
• From variable, localised enforcement to a centralised Meat Hygiene Service.
• Where we end up by late 1995 – no human cases yet, but the MHS has a horrifying revelation that undermines trust in the controls.

This podcast was recorded on Kaurna land, and we recognise Kaurna elders past and present. Always was, always will be.

Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at thewestminstertraditionpod@gmail.com.

Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

'Til next time!

We kick off a new series on 'Mad Cow Disease', or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), and what it teaches us about governing when the science is uncertain, the consequences are enormous, but the risks are very remote.

• Why BSE became a lasting symbol of government failure and secrecy, even though major inquiries later found decisions were largely science led.
• Where to draw the line for regulatory settings with big market consequences.
• Who really decides when portfolios collide, and who pays.
• Why Pedigree pet food had a surprising influence on the risk ‘appetite’
• Whether there is the authorising environment to act beyond the scientific advice.
• Spoiler alert: “over reacting” and “under reacting” are not opposites, they overlap.

The brilliant podcast, ‘The Cows are Mad’ by BBC.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001rrhy/episodes/player

The West Wing: Season 3, episode 9 (featuring Mad Cow disease).

https://youtu.be/ouBr3F2qWMI?si=uecMkFaQFnMGVvyL&t=220

This podcast was recorded on Kaurna land, and we recognise Kaurna elders past and present. Always was, always will be.

Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at thewestminstertraditionpod@gmail.com.

Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

'Til next time!

We want to make lasting and meaningful change, but how do we get there? In this special episode Caroline interviews Frances Foster-Thorpe and Jason Tabarias about their insights into the skills and frameworks needed to tackle large, complex and ambitious reform.

We cover:

• Biting off what you can chew by picking two of three factors: volume, cost, quality
• Examples of big Australian reforms that did and didn't hit the mark
• Lining up stakeholder expectations, the authorising environment, and operational capability
• Stretching the political window of opportunity by looking up and out
• Why sequencing can be a more productive conversation than prioritisation
• Proposals that are needs or community-led, evidence based and implementation-ready
• Making cross-system collaboration work: everyone is a colleague, everyone has valuable knowledge, and everyone is responsible for doing as much as we can
• Tips for system diplomats and working with system diplomats

Mark Moore's strategic triangle

The Three Horizons Framework

Geoff Mulgan 'The Art of Public Strategy'

This podcast was recorded on Kaurna land, and we recognise Kaurna elders past and present. Always was, always will be.

Now for some appropriately bureaucratic disclaimers....

While we have tried to be as thorough in our research as busy full time jobs and lives allow, we definitely don’t guarantee that we’ve got all the details right.

Please feel free to email us corrections, episode suggestions, or anything else, at thewestminstertraditionpod@gmail.com.

Thanks to PanPot audio for our intro and outro music.

'Til next time!