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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (9 April) . . Page.. 790 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

Clearly the inference we must take from Mr Berry's comments is that should at some stage the Labor Party come into Government it may move to terminate our contracts because of our perceived partisan allegiance. The reported comments not only reflect on our professional objectivity, but may dissuade highly qualified officers from other jurisdictions or the private sector from seeking ACT appointments if there is a perception that their tenure is linked to the life of the government.

Nevertheless we want to assure you that we will continue to work professionally and diligently to support the Government of the day and the Legislative Assembly in the efforts being made to manage and develop the ACT.

It is our intention to write in similar terms to the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Andrew Whitecross MLA.

It is signed by David Butt, Fran Hinton, Annabelle Pegrum, Rod Gilmour, Tim Keady and John Walker. On the issue of politicisation, let us examine the facts. Of the six chief executives in the ACT Public Service, where were they working prior to their appointments to this Government? Mr Keady was a senior executive under the New South Wales Labor Government - not exactly a political appointment. Ms Hinton was a senior executive under the ACT Labor Government - not exactly a political appointment. Ms Pegrum was a senior executive under the ACT Labor Government. Mr Gilmour was a senior executive under the New South Wales Labor Government. Mr Butt was a senior executive under the Queensland Labor Government. Mr Butt also worked on the personal staff of Neal Blewett when he was Minister for Health. I think he was Dr Blewett's senior adviser at one stage. Again, that was not exactly a political appointment. Mr Walker was a chief executive under the New South Wales Labor Government - again, not exactly a political appointment.

Many comments have been made in this place about the supposed politicisation of the Public Service and in particular about the political activities of Mr Walker. It might be interesting to those opposite to know that Mr Walker has been a member of a political party. When we appointed him, I did not know that that was the case. What party was it? He was a member of the Labor Party in New South Wales. Mr Walker has never been a member of the Liberal Party. I have no idea how any of my chief executives vote, but I do know that their previous appointments were all with Labor governments. This does not seem to warrant any comments about politicisation. The comments that those opposite have made about chief executives - - -

Mr Berry: You are squirming.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Berry, you make me sick. You make me sick on this one because these are people the vast percentage of whom are working seven days a week to get this economy on track for the benefit of the ACT, and all they get from this Assembly in return is comments about politicisation. This Government has probably made two

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