Page 2555 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 1 August 2018

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but we also need to recognise their needs. I am pleased to support this discussion today, and the amendment moved by Minister Stephen-Smith.

MRS KIKKERT (Ginninderra) (4.42): I thank those who have spoken in support of this motion today. I am satisfied that Minister Stephen-Smith’s amendment captures her intention, and I will look forward to her ministerial statement later this year. I understand that she may wish to postpone the statement referred to in my motion until after the multicultural summit that is scheduled for November. I will be very happy to receive an invitation to participate in that summit. Considering the tripartisan support that exists in this chamber, I am sure Mr Shane Rattenbury would also love to have an invitation to that summit. Once again, I commend this motion to this Assembly.

Amendment agreed to.

Original question, as amended, resolved in the affirmative.

ACT public service—public interest disclosure

MISS C BURCH (Kurrajong) (4.43): I move:

That this Assembly:

(1) note the importance of transparency and integrity in the ACT Public Service, to protect against inefficiency and poor performance, as well as against bullying, fraud and corruption, and to support the hardworking public servants who continue to diligently serve our community;

(2) notes that:

(a) as per the 2016-17 State of the Service Report, the Public Service Standards Commissioner was notified of 17 public interest disclosures, of which four were reported from the Health Directorate, and five from the Justice and Community Safety Directorate;

(b) reviews into similar jurisdictions’ legislative frameworks found that current frameworks discourage, rather than encourage a culture of “if in doubt, report” within the workplace; and

(c) current methods of restitution inadequately compensate those individuals whose lives and careers have been irrevocably damaged by detrimental action as a result of making a disclosure; and

(3) calls on the relevant Ministers to:

(a) explain to the Assembly why these two directorates accounted for over half of the total number of public interest disclosures reported in the ACT Public Service overall; and

(b) produce an ACT Public Service-wide report on current public interest disclosure legislation which would:

(i) be produced alongside the 2018-19 State of the Service Report; and

(ii) report on the effectiveness of current legislation and workplace mechanisms, including, but not limited to, employees’:


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