I am often dismayed when I come across people in positions of power and authority treat others with a lack of manners and consideration, and what strikes me is how this contrasts with the unfailing courtesy of many great Australians with whom I have had the honour or working.

Great Australians the likes of former Western Australian premier Charles Court, who's name was always publicly listed in the phone book, and who would personally receive telephone calls from his constituents every morning. According to his son, his commitment to this kind of open communication meant he rarely sat through breakfast uninterrupted, but was always fully briefed by the time he arrived at the parliament. 

And it's an art not entirely lost on our current generation of politicians. Former Labor Party leader Simon Crean, who was more than happy to take calls on out side of business hours, and is always unfailingly courteous.

However, the importance of manners is not solely confined to the political sphere, when working for TNT many years ago I recall Sir Peter Ables, insisting that executives not use their secretaries to screen their calls, in fact it was written into an executive rule book to which senior management were expected to comply.

I don't believe it's a sufficiently strong excuse to argue that people are merely too busy to attend to those around them. Business is mindset, it's almost entirely self-imposed and poor excuse for a lack of manners.

Whether you're in business, the public sector, or senior bureaucracy you have an obligation to be sensitive and attentive to those around you.

There's a bit of a tendency for people in public life and the public service to be less accessible to other people, and an increasing tendency for those in business to close themselves off from those around them.

But we need to struggle against this self-imposed isolation. We need to see people for who they are not what they are, and at all times remain accessible, sensitive and courteous to those around us. Ultimately it's the people that matter, not the role, and to forget that, is to forget a fundamental pillar of our own humanity.

The Hon. Neil Batt AO had a substantial career in politics, having been variously Tasmanian Minister for Transport, Education, Economic Development and Forestry and concluding his political career as Tasmanian Deputy Premier and Treasurer. In addition, he was the National President of the Australian Labor Party. He is currently the Executive Director  of the Australian Centre for Health Research [1], a Consultant to Australian Unity [2], Chairman of Residential Aged Services and of the Interim Advisory Committee of the Mersey Hospital.