Page 2379 - Week 07 - Thursday, 4 August 2016
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Certainly when it came to my attention I discussed it with the Chief Minister who, of course, has taken action by amending those clauses. As we can see today, I do not think it was ever the government’s intention to take that approach and I welcome the fact that the Chief Minister has moved so quickly to address the issue.
The Greens will support the amendment that public servants cannot behave in a way inconsistent with the public sector values or undermine the integrity and reputation of the service. This seems like a reasonable position, which gives sufficient freedom to employees without undermining the integrity of the public service.
In conclusion, I believe that the intention is to commence this bill on 1 September, so that it will be in place by caretaker. The Greens will be supporting this bill. We believe it delivers a number of improvements to the Public Sector Management Act. I have addressed the issue of concern that has been addressed in the amendments. I certainly do not believe it reflected the intent of the government in this legislation. I am pleased it was picked up through that process and there is an amendment in place to fix it. I am pleased to support the bill today.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Tourism and Events and Minister for Urban Renewal) (5.56), in reply: I thank those members who have spoken on the bill, one more positively than the other, I note, but I am used to that. To recap, the legislation that establishes the public sector and the public service is, of course, the cornerstone by which the government operates. It is in accordance with this legislation that the government provides Canberrans with access to high-quality services and engages and employs those who deliver the services.
In order for the government to deliver on its objectives and to provide the best possible services to the people of Canberra, it is vital that this governing legislation continues to be relevant and continues to be up to date. While the one service model has been successfully introduced, there has been a broader change in the culture and structure of the public sector since 2011. In this context the bill amends the Public Sector Management Act to establish a modern, agile, coherent and streamlined employment framework for the ACT public sector.
The major features of the bill that I highlighted in my introductory speech are to reinforce the one service narrative, to embed ACT public sector values and signature behaviours, to establish the independent office of the public sector standards commissioner, to establish the senior executive service, and a refocusing of the merit principle on outcomes rather than process.
As Mr Rattenbury has foreshadowed in his statements, I will move some amendments in the detail stage that respond to the issues raised in the scrutiny process and, indeed, by stakeholders. I am pleased that the government has been able to move quickly to respond to those concerns, and I will deal with those in the detail stage. But, for now, I will commend the bill to the Assembly.
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