This sharp black comedy, with strong elements of political satire, follows the misadventures of a naive young clerk, Harvey McHugh, as he tries to secure a permanent position in the Australian Public Service. As his quest progresses, Harvey gains many startling insights into how the Australian government and bureaucracy operates behind the scenes, especially through his dealings with the powerful and manipulative politician, Michael Muldoon—invariably referred to simply as "The Minister" -- who heads the department where Harvey is employed and who thinks nothing of resorting to corruption, murder, terrorism, and using Harvey as a guinea pig in illegal medical experiments to cure his long-term fatal illness. What is more, Harvey is so innocent and trusting that he doesn't realise any of this is going on.