Page 1663 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 29 May 1990
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Department of Defence, mainly in the logistics and supply area. He was involved in a number of major reviews of the Defence Department and of the defence forces. Mr Denis Page is a managing partner of the Canberra office of Ernst and Young, management consultants. Mr George Snow is joint managing director of the Capital Property Group and founder of one of Australia's most successful property trusts. Mr Snow has been involved in business and community activities in Canberra for many years.
I selected these people, Mr Speaker, because I wanted considered views from people with management experience. That is why I appointed them; this is what I got. Between them they have brought a balance of public and private sector experience and of local and national perspectives to the work of the board.
The Priorities Review Board has over the last four months carried out a most ambitious and far-reaching review of ACT Government Service functions. In doing so the board has been most ably assisted by its executive officer, a senior and experienced private sector consultant, Mr James Lumbers, and by staff seconded from ACT Government agencies, as well as by a number of specialist consultants. On behalf of the Government and the ACT community - and I hope that the Leader of the Opposition will join me in this - I would like to thank both the board and all those who so ably supported it in its work for their very considerable efforts.
My Government has been kept in touch with the board's work but I received its report only on Friday of last week. In line with my commitment to make the information which the review has gathered available to the community as soon as possible, I have taken this opportunity on the first available sitting day to table this report in the Assembly. Over the next few days the Government will be making copies of the report available to the community as well as to business groups and staff and their unions.
The report is clearly a most valuable addition to the public debate on the Territory's financial situation and on the future of the ACT public sector. It will provide a basis for government and community considerations of the options available to meet the Territory's adverse financial situation. The report is of particular value in highlighting the variety of measures which can be taken to achieve economies in government operations without directly impacting on the quality of public services. It points the way for the ACT to shape a public sector of excellence that does not burden the community with high taxes and crippling debt. It points to steps which can be taken to maximise the benefits in terms of responsiveness and flexibility and minimise the potential diseconomies which flow from the relatively small size of the ACT public sector.
Together with the other reviews which have been commissioned by the Government over recent months, plus the
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