Page 2700 - Week 08 - Thursday, 24 August 2006
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
We are trying to combine all municipal services in the ACT into one entity. I want to ensure that that entity provides the best municipal services in the country at a cost-effective price to taxpayers.
He also said:
Having all those people in the same tent means there will be more coherent and consistent conversations regarding activity in each element.
That is all well and good, but how will these plans come out in reality? If we go on the past pattern of this government, it will probably be not all that well. Will the consolidated organisational structures, a reinvigorated work culture and proposed resourcing efficiencies result in actual cost savings and improved service provision for Canberrans? We certainly have not seen them to date. The early signs are not good.
Already the new department has suffered an embarrassing leak that revealed the fear and trepidation shared amongst its staff. The chief executive of TAMS, Mr Mike Zissler, has already had to threaten his staff with possible dismissal to keep them in line after it was revealed, through a leaked document, that environmental services were potentially to be cut by $7.5 million. Further, the Canberra Times claimed that, according to other staff sources, Mr Zissler told his department that as many as 200 jobs could go in order to find $20 million in savings across the department and that anyone could be tapped on the shoulder.
What an intimidating approach to take towards people who are employed in the service of this territory. We all acknowledge that efficiencies need to be found. But trying to achieve them in such a callous and opaque manner does not inspire confidence in the people having to serve the community on the front line. Nor does it necessarily mean that, once achieved, those efficiencies will enable the department to maintain, let alone improve, its service provision to Canberrans. You would think you would learn.
Thirty-two years ago we had a thing called the Coombes report on public administration. It identified what bureaucrats love doing. That is, when governments or parliaments say, “Let us cut back in these areas,” the first thing they do is whack the poor souls at the bottom of the tree on the front line. Then, if the public squeal, hopefully they will get their empire back. Here we go again. The little people in the agency who are least able to stand up for themselves will be facing the chop, or certainly the threat of the chop. Another distinct example of the lack of transparency with which this government handles its affairs can be seen in the flippant responses made by Minister Hargreaves during the estimates process. Indeed, to a question on how the department plans to achieve reductions in public service costs, he had this to say:
We know that we have to bring public service delivery costs across the whole of the ACT back to the national benchmark. We know roughly how much we have to trim from our budget so we can go forward. This relates to a reduction of FTE positions in the budget. At this point I do not know how many there will be. I cannot be specific, nor should I try.
I know this government has an absolute majority, but it makes a mockery of the whole process of estimates and budget debate when the government and the Chief Minister
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .