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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 1 Hansard (20 February) . . Page.. 34 ..

MR MOORE: I ask a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Minister, is it of some embarrassment to you that there is at least one student - a number of students, I suspect - who is disabled and who is not able to get around their new high school?

MR STEFANIAK: The Government and, through it, the Department of Education will do all they possibly can to ensure that all aspects of that school are ready as soon as possible, including anything necessary to help any students who are disabled.

Chief Minister's Department - Chief Executive

MS McRAE: Mr Speaker, my question is to Mrs Carnell in her capacity as Chief Minister. Chief Minister, do you think it was appropriate for you, and you alone, to determine Mr Walker's salary package, especially when he had not gone through a merit selection process for the upgraded position? What role did Mr Walker himself have in the decision on the salary for his own job?

MRS CARNELL: I find that comment really unusual, and I think it is a comment from Ms McRae.

Ms McRae: I asked a question. Just answer it.

MRS CARNELL: I certainly will. I think I answered this question last year, and I will make the point again. The Director of Public Administration at that stage, Ms Maureen Kane, made the decisions on issues regarding Mr Walker's package. It was done in line with the Public Sector Management Act and, of course, the relevant documents.

MS McRAE: Mr Speaker, I asked specifically about the upgraded position. I ask the Chief Minister again: What role did you play in this, and do you agree that it would be better if such decisions were made deliberately at arm's length from the head of government?

MRS CARNELL: The decisions with regard to the new packages, as I also explained to the Assembly last year, were made as a result of a consultancy that was put together by the ACT Government, where full job sizing and remuneration levels were determined by an independent consultant. Those recommendations were taken on board totally by the Government. They were not varied; they were taken on board by the Government. They went through Cabinet and Cabinet approved them - a totally sensible approach. Certainly, no variations to those - - -

Mr Berry: Will you table them?

MRS CARNELL: Yes, all of the contracts will be tabled, I think on Thursday next week - the ones that have been signed at this stage.

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