A number of forces in modern politics influence the interpretation and management of government business during the caretaker period. This chapter has identified the pressures that greater adversarialism, the growth in power and influence of ministerial staff, rapid technological change, the pace and complexity of decision-making and the power of incumbency are placing on public servants during election campaigns. These influences are driving the trend to codification and bureaucratisation of guidance documents on caretaker conventions, and have been influential in shifting the onus of responsibility to observe the conventions from ministers to bureaucrats.

These forces—particularly the trend from the old style parliamentarianism, where pleasantries could be exchanged across the House, to the professionalism of party machine politics—have led to a more ruthless approach to maximising political advantage. The next chapter explores some of the consequences this transformation could have on caretaker conventions.