Page 1202 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 1993
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the moment do not have permanent officer status and who at present are disadvantaged as a result. In our service the Government has decided it will treat all employees equally. Each office would belong to an employment stream, such as teaching, nursing, or administration, and movement between streams would be on the basis of merit and, where necessary, qualifications.
At this point it is appropriate that I repeat the Government's commitment that the terms and conditions of employees will not be adversely affected by this exercise. I want to make it quite clear that the Government has no hidden agenda in this exercise of cutting back, either on terms and conditions or on staff numbers. Enterprise bargaining offers us opportunities to increase productivity, and it is through that mechanism, not the creation of a new service, that we will seek to negotiate productivity gains in coming years.
Madam Speaker, the Bill we will bring forward will be a management Bill as well as an employment Bill. By this I mean that the Bill will not be confined to the employment of public servants. It will also deal with broader management issues, such as the review of organisations to increase efficiency and effectiveness. I referred earlier, Madam Speaker, to the lessons that can be learnt from the recent public administration experiences of various States. We can also learn from our own experience of public administration under self-government, brief though it is.
Two lessons stand out in my mind. The first is the recent ACTEW dispute, which strengthened the Government's resolve to take a whole-of-government approach in public administration matters. Our proposal for a unified service, and the models of administration we adopt in the management of a unified service, will continue this approach. The second lesson is the need for our institutions to be linked as closely as possible to the community they serve. I have in mind the University of Canberra, where the Government and the University Council are of a like mind about the benefits of a closer relationship, and I am delighted at the approach the council is taking. At the seat of this exercise to create a separate ACT Government Service is a recognition that the employees of one sovereign government should not be subject to the rules of another government, Mrs Carnell. This principle applies equally to the ACT police and goes a long way towards understanding the problems that they face. We have recognised that fact and opened the discussion about how best to address it.
In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I should mention that the Trades and Labour Council have agreed to nominate a full-time representative to our separate service task force. This will contribute significantly to a smooth flow of negotiations on the myriad of topics that must be discussed in the coming months, and I am sure that it will significantly shorten the time taken to complete the project.
Madam Speaker, our vision is for a unified service, built firmly on community values and a culture of service. It will be a unique service, yet one that retains links with the other public service with which it shares its home and its origins. Our objective is to establish this service, in cooperation with its members and their union representatives, next year and without extra cost to the budget. That is the task that lies ahead of us, and from time to time I will report further progress to this Assembly. I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
Debate (on motion by Mr De Domenico) adjourned.
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