Page 3937 - Week 09 - Thursday, 25 August 2011
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These are not insignificant things, Madam Assistant Speaker. These are just some of the recent cases that we know about. Where do they get their marching instructions from? They get them from the top. They get them from Katy Gallagher. When she gets on radio and says to those who have serious concerns about problems at Canberra Hospital she questions their integrity, she questions their motivations and she publicly attacks who they are. Much of what they said was vindicated, of course, but this minister has sought to cover it up.
This MPI is about saying to the overwhelming majority of our public servants who are just going in there and doing their jobs, working hard, doing their best for the people of Canberra: “You need more support than you’re getting at the moment. You need to be backed up in what you do. You should not be vilified and discriminated against and have retribution upon you because you dare to criticise the government. It is legitimate for you to raise concerns. It is legitimate for you to point out when they get it wrong. In fact, that is doing the job of a public servant—serving the public and saying, ‘This is not the way it should be’.” We say to them, “We will give you that support.” This government does not. This government engages in retribution and in a culture of bullying. It needs to stop. You need to send a message back to public servants that frank and fearless advice is welcome; it is welcome once more.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Education and Training and Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation) (4.06): If hypocrisy has a name, we have just heard it from the Leader of the Opposition. In any organisation of any size—in fact we see it in this place with only 17 of us—there will be incidents of bullying and undesirable behaviour that will occur from time to time. In my view, what is important and what is the measure of the ACT public service is how it responds. It is critical that incidents of bullying and harassment are dealt with at the workplace level quickly and appropriately. Undoubtedly, culture plays an important role in defining how bullying is dealt with.
Culture plays an enormous role in terms of how things are done around here. There is no doubt that we need to be continually vigilant in fostering a positive work culture and in dealing with those who behave in ways that are not acceptable. In that context, it is important that we have a public debate and discussion about culture in the public service. It is perhaps only through shining a light on that culture that we can continue to improve it. So whilst it might be uncomfortable to talk about instances of bullying in any workplace, it is important that we do.
But that said, I think it is important that we do not ventilate individual cases in this place in particular in a way that causes distress to the individuals involved perhaps in the pursuit of a political end rather that in the best interests of those involved in the dispute. Above all, we must be conscious of the need not to conflate a small number of issues into a perception that the ACT public service is rife with bullying and harassment.
There has been coverage in recent days of a number of cases that show that in areas of the public service we can certainly do better. Whilst these cases are clearly unacceptable, I do not believe they provide evidence that the entirety of the public service is like this. As in every organisation, the vast majority of public servants in the
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