Page 1314 - Week 04 - Thursday, 7 April 2016
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engagement with the ACT community. These measures include rolling out the code of conduct for the ACT public service, service-wide values and signature behaviours, and a service-wide staff performance framework that explicitly embeds the values and behaviours into everyday work practices.
The methods by which we guide ethical and transparent behaviour in the public service also include legislation such as the Public Sector Management Act 1994 and associated standards; the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2012; requirements set out in the Financial Management Act 1996; the Ombudsman Act 1989; the Crimes Act 1900; the Freedom of Information Act 1989; and the Annual Reports (Government Agencies) Act 2004.
The ACT public service has adopted four core values of respect, integrity, collaboration and innovation in the delivery of services to the ACT community. These values are supported by the appointment of senior executives responsible for business integrity and risk in each directorate, who deliver regular training to employees in regard to ethics and fraud control. Each directorate must also appoint at least two disclosure officers who are tasked with receiving any disclosures in relation to alleged corruption and who are overseen by the Commissioner for Public Administration and, in turn, the ACT Ombudsman.
This broad adoption of a culture of professionalism and accountability is making a clear cultural shift to one of zero tolerance for unethical behaviour across the entire public sector. The Canberra community rightly expects no less. This is reflected by our respectful and open engagement with the ACT Auditor-General, who plays a critical role in promoting public accountability in the public administration of the territory.
From July 2015 we have been publishing relevant information about invoices the government has paid for goods, services or works provided to the territory on the notifiable invoices register. The publication of relevant information about notifiable invoices provides greater transparency to the community about what the government is investing taxpayer dollars in and spending money on, as well as the government’s performance in paying these invoices.
The notifiable invoices register complements the ACT government contracts register, which is also accessible on the procurement website, together of course with an extensive list of businesses that have pre-qualification to provide a range of services to the ACT government.
In conclusion, Madam Deputy Speaker, the ethical standards set by this government are of the highest level in this country. I welcome the scrutiny and oversight arrangements that we have established to ensure that we continue to meet the standards that Canberrans deserve. At the base of this, the government is putting people first. Our only interest is in serving the people of the ACT as well.
MR HANSON (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (4.25): I would like to thank Mr Smyth for bringing this matter of importance to the Assembly, the importance of ethical government in the ACT. I thank him for the extensive list of failures in ethical
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