Page 1105 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 April 1994

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  Thursday, 21 April 1994

  _______________________

MADAM SPEAKER (Ms McRae) took the chair at 10.30 am and read the prayer.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE TO MEMBER

Motion (by Mr Humphries) agreed to:

That leave of absence from 22 April 1994 to 8 May 1994 inclusive be given to Mrs Carnell.

PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT BILL 1994

MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (10.31): Madam Speaker, I present the Public Sector Management Bill 1994.

Title read by Clerk.

MS FOLLETT: I move:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

Madam Speaker, this Bill establishes a separate ACT public service, a step that will see the Territory emerge finally as a fully self-governing Territory. I say this because no State or Territory can claim to be fully self-governing if it does not manage its own public service. The service established by this Bill will be a unified service, one which will employ the vast majority of public sector employees. It will be a service that is built on sound values, principles and ethics which reflect the community values of our modern city-state.

One of those principles is that the government is responsible for the public service, which in turn should be responsive to the government of the day. This Bill gives ACT public servants clear direction as to their obligations and makes them accountable to the government for achieving what is expected of them. As one measure to achieve this accountability, we have established a Department of Public Administration, reporting directly to the Chief Minister, rather than a public service commission or similar statutory authority, to manage the service as a whole. The Bill is the result of broad consultation with our employees, the unions, the Commonwealth Government and the community.


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