Page 4285 - Week 13 - Thursday, 19 November 2015
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in 2013 introduced a behavioural component into measures of work performance and required ACT public servants to demonstrate ACT public service values and signature behaviours in their workplaces.
The government has also made considerable changes to the bullying and harassment and misconduct-related provisions of ACT public service enterprise agreements. Under the agreements, bullying and harassment and discrimination of any kind are not tolerated and changes made to the EAs give prominence to counselling and dispute resolution through, amongst other things, the introduction of a preliminary assessment of allegations stage, which can be expected to significantly cut down on the number of matters that formally go to investigation. All changes were fully supported by staff and their union representatives.
The ACT public service is also seeking a better representation in our staff of the community in general. It is through the diversity of views and background that we can better serve the community. In February this year the Head of Service advised all directors-general of revised, directorate-specific annual diversity targets. Combined with service-wide employment initiatives, the targets will support workforce diversity, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural awareness and disability confidence within the ACT public service.
An inclusion employment pathways program has begun a pilot phase of operation. The program is a centrally coordinated program focusing initially on traineeships, cadetships and school-based work experience programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The program will be expanded to include similar pathways for people with disability in the coming months and will include mentoring and an IEP network. The broad diversity focus has been extended further through lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex inclusion initiatives, including joining the pride in diversity campaign.
The ACT community has justifiably high expectations of its public service. They can be assured that the government is working with the service to be more agile, collaborative and innovative in its organisation and respond more effectively to the needs of the community. I recognise, of course, that in any organisation of this size there will be room for improvement. It is simply not a task that you can fix and forget; it must be embedded across the service.
The ACT public service does offer an exciting and rewarding career. We are leading Australia and, in many instances, the world in developing and implementing progressive and consumer-focused policies. The examples of Access Canberra and our regulation of ride sharing services are two that come to mind. This is only possible by having the best minds right here in Canberra working constructively together.
In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our hard working public servants for the work they do for the community every day. I wish all of our public servants a safe and happy Christmas and summer holiday period. We will continue to work with them to ensure that they have the best careers possible, that they achieve important things for our community and that they keep the territory going. We are not
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