For more than a decade, Felix Barbalet sat inside the machinery of the federal government. Working across agencies like Treasury, he saw firsthand a recurring systemic failure where technology projects were routinely oversold and underdelivered.
As public servants weigh up voluntary redundancies that began across multiple departments and agencies since the start of 2026, Mr Barbalet's career path offers a pragmatic blueprint for life on the other side.
"My advice, if anyone asked me, would be don't quit your job until you know that you know you can pay your mortgage and all those things," he said.
