Page 2715 - Week 09 - Thursday, 25 August 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (3.32): Mr Deputy Speaker, I will check up on the situation as to gazettal; but I am sure that members are aware that I have spoken before on the creation of the department and the reasons behind that, and the fact that the department has been pulled together from a range of fairly diverse entities contained in a number of other ACT departments - for instance, the Corporate Services Bureau from Urban Services, the Office of Public Sector Management from the Chief Minister's Department, and so on. I believe that, with the creation of a separate ACT service, there is a need for a central management agency such as the Department of Public Administration, and I believe that there are a number of issues which such a central agency must address.
The first of those, and the most important, in my view, is the development towards excellence of our public service in the ACT. Members will know that the ACT Government Service was created out of an enormous range of organisations and parts of other departments. I think that the public service in the five or so years since self-government has done a wonderful job; but there is no doubt that it has been a difficult task for them to operate in a corporate manner as a single service and in a coordinated way. There is also no doubt that, as a public service, we still have to strive to reach the excellence that I know everybody would wish for the ACT's public service. Effort must go in centrally to things like training, the classification of positions, and the management of particular areas where the advice and assistance of a skilled central agency will make all the difference to progress in those areas.
It is also a fact that there are a range of issues that face our ACT Government Service - issues like workers compensation and occupational health and safety, where we all know that a greater effort is needed. It is my view that, if a central agency can give its attention to matters like that, we will get a better result. I know that members, throughout the Estimates Committee process which has recently been concluded, saw a vast array of results on occupational health and safety in different agencies. Those variable results have led overall to two things: First of all, an apparent increase in the injury and illness of our workers, and also an apparent increase in the length of time that they are off work. The other thing they have led to, of course, is an increase in the premiums that we are paying to Comcare. I believe that a service-wide issue like that is best addressed by an agency that has a service-wide perspective, and that is what the Public Administration Department is expected to do.
With the formation of the new ACT Government Service I also think it is appropriate for one area, one department, to have an oversighting role in the development of our service. I know that everybody will be aware that, in the process of creating that service, all departments had to be consulted, unions had to be consulted, and there were negotiations with the Commonwealth. It seems to me that, as the service continues and grows, that oversighting, monitoring and nurturing role is still required, and will be required for some time. That is the reason for the department.
To conclude, Mr Deputy Speaker, I can advise Mr Kaine that the administrative arrangements which create this department and establish it under my own ministry have been gazetted, but they have not been tabled in this place. The legal requirement of gazettal has been complied with.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .