Empathy and objectivity: must public servants choose?

Empathy is often named as a core public service value – yet in practice it can sit in tension with the neutrality, objectivity and evidence-based judgement the public expects. On 23 June 2026, United Nations Public Service Day, IPAA NSW and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) brought together leading practitioners and researchers for a Bridge Live forum to explore one deceptively simple question: must public servants choose between the two? 

Led by The Bridge Editor, and IPAA Victoria Gain the Policy Edge facilitator, Maria Katsonis, the hour-long conversation drew on research from the Australian Journal of Public Administration and an ANZSOG Bridge research brief to connect academic insight with real-world practice, from engaging communities and shaping policy to navigating competing priorities and making complex decisions. 

What the forum explored 

• how empathy can strengthen, rather than undermine, impartial decision-making 

• what empathetic practice looks like in real public sector contexts 

• how to apply empathy to improve outcomes for your stakeholders, your team and your organisation.

On the panel 

• Maria Katsonis — The Bridge Editor and Public Policy Fellow, University of Melbourne 

• Dr Assel Mussagulova — Lecturer in Public Policy and Public Administration, University of Sydney 

• Tracey Hall PSM — Sheriff of New South Wales 

• David Hartley — Acting Deputy Director-General, Queensland Health 

Whether you work in policy, service delivery or leadership, it is a practical hour on balancing empathy with objectivity to deliver better outcomes for the communities you serve. 

Missed the forum? Watch the full conversation on demand by clicking on the link below.