Page 1667 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 29 May 1990
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Minister's Department or the transfer of the Housing and Community Services Bureau to some other department. However, the Government will be looking at proposals to achieve some reduction in the number of government departments and combine agency corporate services aimed at achieving the potential savings identified in the board's report. It will be looking at incorporating into the Chief Minister's Department responsibility for economic development and industrial relations together with the creation of an office of public sector management to coordinate the Government's ongoing public sector reform program.
The Government will be looking at the possibility of putting in place administrative arrangements which bring together the Government's planning, environment and land management resources. This would ensure that environmental and land management issues would be integrated appropriately within considerations of planning and land use. The Territory Planner, of course, would continue to have full independence for the performance of his or her statutory responsibilities within those arrangements. We would be looking at refocusing the Department of Urban Services to give it expanded responsibilities for the provision of "common services" to ACT Government agencies and for the oversight of the corporatisation of the Mitchell services complex and the Government's other business undertakings.
In conclusion, Mr Speaker, I would like to reiterate the Government's appreciation of the board's thoughtful, incisive and independent assessment of the ACT public sector. The board's report will provide the Government and all those with an interest in the ACT public sector - and I commend it to Mr Berry - with most useful information not only on our obvious financial problems but on the constructive measures which can be taken to overcome them.
The Government is committed to reform but it is equally committed to providing an opportunity for the community to be aware of the issues and to have their say before decisions are made. The Government is particularly concerned that in the process of change it protects the interests of Government employees and recognises the valuable contribution which they have made to the well-being of the ACT. As I have said, the Government will be seeking to involve those employees and their unions in the planning and management of change.
I strongly urge all those with an interest in the good government of the Territory to take the opportunity to look at the report and to contribute to the development of proposals for ongoing improvements in the management of Government programs.
Mr Speaker, the Alliance Government has been branded by the Opposition as a conservative government, but the real conservatives in this Assembly are the Labor Party members
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