Public Affairs: A matter of trust

With politicians saying they don't trust public affairs practitioners, Adam Hill asks how the relationship can improve. Politicians mistrust public affairs practitioners - so says a recent report by research company BPRI (PRWeek, 10 September). But if these specialists provide well-researched, accurate and timely information on the political state of play to clients, and understand the external and internal pressures that affect the way government works, doesn't that make them a useful cog in the machinery of politics?