Page 3781 - Week 12 - Thursday, 24 October 2013

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(18) In their capacity as an employer on behalf of the Territory under the Legislative Assembly (Members’ Staff) Act 1989:

(a) familiarise themselves and comply with the terms and conditions on which their personal staff are engaged and with all applicable policies and practices (including those related to occupational health and safety, discrimination, harassment and bullying, equal employment opportunity and use of information technology);

(b) not employ a family member as defined in that Act;

(c) direct their personal staff to be mindful of the Member’s commitment to this Code of Conduct, and to assist the Member to comply with this Code of Conduct; and

(d) direct their personal staff to comply with any code of conduct applicable to those staff from time to time.

(19) In all their dealings with staff of the Assembly and members of the ACT Public Service:

(a) extend professional courtesy and respect; and

(b) recognise the unique position of impartiality and the obligations of Public Service officials.

(20) Only make a complaint about the compliance of another Member with this Code of Conduct where they believe there are reasonable grounds to suspect non-compliance and not make any such complaint that is frivolous or vexatious or only for political advantage.

(21) Cooperate fully with any official inquiry that may be commenced in connection with their compliance with this Code of Conduct, or that of another Member.

This resolution has effect from the date of its agreement by the Legislative Assembly and continues in force unless amended or repealed by this or a subsequent Assembly.

MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Health and Minister for Higher Education) (10.40): I welcome the opportunity to speak to this motion today. It is an important motion that enshrines a new code of conduct for members of the Assembly. But before speaking to the motion, I wish to thank all members for their interest in this, and for their work in bringing a new MLA code of conduct into being.

As members would know, the government, under our integrity package which I announced a little while ago, revised the code of conduct for ministers in 2012. The revision of the MLA code of conduct will continue to build on the integrity frameworks that underpin the ACT’s system of governance, to which the government


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