Page 19 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 15 February 2011
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References to inefficiency procedures are removed from the Public Sector Management Act and replaced with a reference to the more contemporary procedures for managing underperformance as set out in agreements. Similarly, parts 9 and 11 of the act dealing with discipline procedures and reviews and grievances are omitted. The processes for discipline, misconduct, appeals and internal reviews are prescribed within agreements. The bill incorporates references to these processes as appropriate and provides a new consolidated list of all reviewable and appealable decisions arising within the context of the act.
Long service leave and maternity leave provisions will also be omitted from the Public Sector Management Act. Maternity leave entitlements are already located in the majority of ACT public service industrial agreements and will be comprehensively covered by all agreements at the completion of the 2011 round of agreement negotiations.
Long service leave provisions will initially move to the public sector management standards while further work is undertaken to simplify both the prescription of the entitlement and to align the accrual methodology with other leave types.
However, to ensure that chief executives, executives and statutory office holders retain access to these entitlements, long service leave and updated maternity leave provisions along with all other leave entitlements will be provided through a new part in the standards specific to these employees.
The scrutiny committee made some comments on the bill and explanatory statement which have been provided for in the government’s response to the committee report. I now table a revised explanatory statement to the bill and I foreshadow that the government will be moving an amendment to address a minor change to better clarify the definition of a “reviewable level office”.
In summary, this is a bill which is required for the effective and efficient operation of the employment framework for the ACT public service. Although the bill represents a significant move towards the harmonisation of the legislative employment framework, the nature and complexity of some entitlements and the practical application of the entitlements means that there is further work to be done to complete the realignment of the framework.
Most immediately, however, the bill provides improved capacity for representation within the service of Canberrans with a disability and of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders while maintaining the principles which underpin merit-based selection.
I thank members for their contributions and their foreshadowed support and I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
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