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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 9 Hansard (28 August) . . Page.. 2715 ..

MR DE (continuing):

to elicit the necessary information to allow proper assessment in relation to each of the tender criteria. This is consistent with the ACT competitive tendering and contracting guidelines, the ACT purchasing manual and the Australian Code of Tendering.

The Department of Urban Services had made provision, within the request for tender for the collection of domestic garbage, for alternative tenders to be considered, when submitted with a conforming tender. This provision sought to encourage innovation and acknowledged that there are a range of methods and approaches to the collection of domestic garbage. In an environment of increased competition, requests for tender must allow tenderers the flexibility to bring forward alternative methods and approaches to service delivery. Accordingly, the consideration of alternative tenders is becoming common practice throughout the department and the ACT Public Service in seeking to maximise value for money outcomes.

In relation to non-salary entitlements of senior government officers, the Government agrees with the approach taken in the committee's report, namely, programs to fully utilise frequent flier points to the benefit of the agency concerned. As part of the Qantas travel contract for the ACT Public Service, Qantas has conducted a series of training sessions which outline to staff in agencies how to maximise the use of frequent flier points. Information on the utilisation of frequent flier points has been included in a document provided as part of this training entitled "ACT Government and Qantas Travel Partnership". A copy is provided as part of this response.

In relation to specific guidelines and training relating to the acceptance of gifts by officials, the specific guidelines dealing with the acceptance of gifts and other benefits are incorporated into the public sector management standards. Chief executives may develop, obviously, additional instructions for their staff as appropriate. Ethics training will be facilitated by the Chief Minister's Department by 1997, which will address, amongst other things, issues relating to the acceptance of gifts by officials in the course of their duties.

Addressing the concerns of the committee as enunciated in paragraphs 3.22 to 3.25, the committee commented that ACTEW is not apparently subject to the same management standards as the ACT Public Service agencies. The committee also expressed difficulty in accepting that the role of the responsible Minister is to keep at arm's length from the day-to-day running of the corporation. As the Auditor-General noted, ACTEW operates under separate legislation and industrial agreements which are specific to ACTEW. The legislative framework surrounding the ACTEW corporatisation removed ACTEW employees from the coverage of the Public Sector Management Act 1994. Given these arrangements, the Government does not consider it appropriate that ACTEW be compared with other ACT government agencies.

In recognition of the commercial environment that ACTEW Corporation is expected to operate in, the Public Sector Management Act 1994 was amended to state that, unless the contrary intention appeared, the general provisions of that Act, including the values and principles of public administration and the general obligations of public employees, did not apply to the corporation. Most corporations, however, produce codes of conduct and expect their employees to operate in an ethical environment. It is understood, and we will make sure of this, that ACTEW Corporation is developing such a document. Once that happens, I will give a copy to the Public Accounts Committee.

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