Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .
Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 10 Hansard (7 December) . . Page.. 2785 ..
MS FOLLETT (continuing):
where appointed as a result of public service procedures and not as a
result of government decision, are entitled to be free from political
interference. We believe that the public service is best developed as a
professional organisation dedicated to serving the government of the day,
whatever its political composition. In other words, we believe in preserving
the very best of the Westminster tradition. The difference with the Government
is in many ways a difference in ideology. We believe in the public sector. We
believe in the role of the public service. We believe that the role of
government is more than just picking up the market failures. We believe that
government has a positive role in contributing to our community. Unlike the
Chief Minister, we believe that it is the role of government to provide
services.
Mr Speaker, the Government and the Chief Minister sometimes wonder why the Canberra community and, in fact, this Assembly do not trust them. Mr Osborne stated yesterday that he was naive but that he is learning. Those of us who have been here a bit longer than Mr Osborne have already learnt. To take the most recent example, Mr Speaker, on Tuesday Mrs Carnell said:
The committee's report was provided to me on 29 November, and, in accordance with my undertaking, I responded by way of a note to each member on Friday, 1 December.
They were Mrs Carnell's words. At the time I said, "I did not get that". Mrs Carnell continued, "Well, everybody did get it, last Friday". Mr Speaker, I seek leave to table a copy of my letter from the Chief Minister. As members can clearly see, that letter was signed by the Chief Minister on Monday, 4 December, and was received in my office on the same day.
Leave granted.
MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, is it any wonder the public servants who have been told that they will have job security, like the casuals at Jindalee or the senior officers who are told that they are still a career service as long as they sign a contract to take up an executive position, do not actually believe this Government either? If they cannot tell the truth about simple matters like the date of a letter, then I believe that it is a very poor lookout indeed.
Now the Government is trying to tell the Canberra community that these changes will save $2m. Mr Speaker, as I have said before, these "savings" are simply illusory, and it is very important that people understand that. The Chief Minister herself said in this Assembly on 19 October:
Under the new employment arrangements there will be some recompense for the loss of tenure.
That is what Mrs Carnell said. If that recompense is only the same as that determined by the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal - and there is no reason, I presume, to believe that it would be any less - then there will be no savings at all. Indeed, if some salaries of
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .