Page 24 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 22 February 1994
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The different role and functions of different levels of management in the ACTGS is sometimes blurred, and authority generally has not been devolved as far as is permitted. There are also limited incentives for good performance, and little guidance on how to manage in a reducing environment. This has implications for structures, levels, training and culture, staff commitment and the provision of encouragement and incentives to foster the development of good management structure ...
If that is the case, what is the Government doing about fostering the development of good management structures? "That is very good", I have written here; but what are the implications and how will that affect the organisational structure? That does not tell you. It raises some questions - it is a very academic paper - but, as with all of the papers put out by the Government, it means nothing.
Madam Speaker, the outcome of five years of self-government is that we have a public service led proposal for change, and this has occurred because the Government has not the wit or the desire to determine the nature and direction of change. We have here yet another bizarre example of the Follett Government's consultation process. The unions have been consulted, and properly so. There have been protracted negotiations with the Commonwealth, again properly so. But where is the consultation with the community, with business, with academia? How is it that, on such a major issue that affects every taxpayer in this community, the community has not once been asked for its opinion? The answer is: Because the Chief Minister does not even comprehend the importance and the significance of what she is doing. It does not even occur to her that she should be asking somebody for a view.
Madam Speaker, there is one major step, one really important aspect of this matter, that the Government has done a lot of work on, and it has to do with logos. There was an article in the paper the other day and they have done a lot of work on this matter. I had a look at some of the logos and I could not figure out what they meant. I did notice that one of them shows the current swans without legs. I presume that that is representative of this Government, which is also legless. That is really important stuff - that we get the logo right, and that we have the right label to put on our bottles of wine that will be bottled specially for the occasion. I am sure that our public relations experts must be delighted. If they are, they must be the only people who are. Madam Speaker, I submit that the Government has failed miserably on this major issue. The taxpayers of the ACT deserve better and the members of the ACT Government Service deserve better.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (3.44): Madam Speaker, Mr Kaine is confused. He is confused on this issue, completely and absolutely. If you want evidence of Mr Kaine's confusion you need look no further than the headlines on his own media releases on the subject in letters an inch high. On 27 January Mr Kaine, Trevor Kaine MLA, headed his press release "New ACT Public Service - Where is the political direction?". Madam Speaker, they say that a week is a long time in public life, but two or three weeks is long enough for Mr Kaine to forget what he said, because on 17 February 1994 - the same year - Mr Kaine's press release was headed "Follett's speech a blatant attempt to politicise ACT Government Service". Madam Speaker, there they are. It is no wonder that Mrs Carnell sought to intervene, elbowed Mr Kaine out of the way and took over the public service comment herself - not to any great effect. It was out of sheer embarrassment, and I can understand that.
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