Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 1 Hansard (13 February) . . Page.. 64 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

The achievement of effective accountability requires the establishment of clear lines of responsibility. Reflecting this objective, while at the same time providing clearer links with key sectors of our community, I have announced a significant restructure of the Chief Minister's Department. An Office of Multicultural and Community Affairs has been established to support me in my role as Minister for Community Affairs and to provide improved coordination in the programs and assistance we provide to particular sectors of our community. This office will include a number of dedicated units that will provide significant points of access and a focus for initiatives in multicultural affairs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs, and women's policy. This office also will provide the government's central point of contact for the community services sector and for the important ongoing work in the area of general community consultation.

The key early focus will be the development of a comprehensive program of action in response to the findings of the recent poverty report. To ensure the best possible linkages of all these initiatives with the maximisation of social capital, the Office of Multicultural and Community Affairs will work closely with the policy group of my department.

An Office of Business, Tourism and the Arts has been established to support Brendan Smyth in his role as Minister for Business, Tourism and the Arts, and to provide a more coordinated approach to these key areas of enterprise and innovation. There is also a need to provide a much clearer focus on the delivery of improved quality and more extensive services to citizens and to provide an enhanced capacity to maximise the use of technology in support of these service.

To achieve these objectives, a new ACT information services agency is being established within my department. Making use of existing resources across government as well as funds from the government's $18 million e-services budget, this agency will be responsible for both the implementation of Canberra Connect and the provision of an enhanced capacity to foster innovation in the areas of e-government and information technology. As a consequence of the establishment of this new agency, the role of the government's separate computing agency, InTACT, will be refined to focus on its core business of computing bureau and network services and telecommunications.

With the exception of the establishment of Canberra Connect, which will be funded separately, the cost of these changes will be met from within existing resources and there will be no net reduction in staff numbers.

Innovation

My second requirement of the public service is a commitment to innovation. Innovation today is the lifeblood of good government. Fortunately, the ACT public service has an excellent record in this important area. For example, the ACT leads the public sector in Australia in the full introduction of accrual accounting and the establishment of a comprehensive purchaser provider framework. Our common computing platform is the envy of other jurisdictions. The State of the Territory report is another first, as is the focus on building social capital. The establishment of Canberra Connect will provide a major opportunity to improve the way in which we

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .