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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 8 Hansard (24 August) . . Page.. 2283 ..

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, the allocations for the new department will be the ones that used to be in Chief Minister's. They are simply being moved across. Yes, in the new structure of the Chief Minister's Department and Treasury and Infrastructure there are new positions and there are positions that will go, but overall the job numbers are approximately the same. There are some positions that are not in the new structure and there are some new ones. There are some that are at a higher level and some that are at a lower level, but overall we will manage within the budget that this Assembly passed for both departments, as you would hope we would, Mr Speaker, I am sure.

MR QUINLAN: My question relates to public administration. It necessarily involves an individual, but we are not asking about the individual.

Mr Humphries: Who is it to?

MR QUINLAN: It is to the Chief Minister. I want to make it quite clear that it is about the decision-making process. The question relates to the former Director of the Office of Business Development and Tourism. In the Canberra Times of 29 July there was a confusing article which virtually said that this particular officer had both resigned and been seconded to SOCOG. I wonder whether the Chief Minister can enlighten us as to whether this is, in fact, a secondment, or did that officer resign? If it is a secondment, can the Chief Minister please identify the precise legislative provisions that allow for this particular secondment to take place?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, the officer involved is going to work for SOCOG, and I am extremely pleased about that. The reason I am very pleased is that the opportunity to have one of our people, who is very loyal to the ACT and to the future direction of this city, working in a senior job in SOCOG at this stage is extremely beneficial to our whole Olympic approach. That is something that I hope all of those opposite would agree with. Mr Speaker, when any public servant in the ACT gets an opportunity to broaden their career, to broaden their skill base, and at the same time bring a real benefit to the ACT, I will be supportive. If you want the exact part of the Act, I am happy to take that on notice.

MR QUINLAN: I have a supplementary question. I am not sure that she is being seconded or whether she resigned and has been appointed. Okay. From the point of change in role for this particular officer, is it costing the Territory any money at all in terms of continued salary, travel allowance, vehicle usage, living away allowances, rent assistance or any other cost?

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, there are obviously costs to the Territory in any secondment. I am happy to make those available to those opposite.

Mr Moore: Look at the benefit.

MS CARNELL: And huge benefit.

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