PROTOCOL UNIT PROCUREMENT TRANSACTIONS

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (14:57): Can the Premier provide to the house details of the high risk procurement transactions undertaken by the Protocol Unit of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet in the 2005-06 financial year? In his recent report, the Auditor-General commented:

During 2005-06, the Department contracted an external accounting firm to review the procurement arrangements in the Protocol Unit. The accounting firm's report identified a number of high risk findings. The report also identified a number of transactions, within the unit, that, in the Audit's opinion, warranted further examination as to their propriety and reasonableness. Audit communicated its view to the Chief Executive of the Department. During the year, further review work was undertaken by the accounting firm and the Government Investigations Unit of the Attorney-General's Department. As a result of that work, and in consideration of advice from the Crown Solicitor, the Chief Executive has advised Audit that a more focused investigation of certain matters will be undertaken.

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:58): I thank the honourable member for prior notice of this question. A routine internal audit within the department in 2006 identified a number of issues of concern within the protocol unit particularly relating to procurement arrangements. A number of strategies were implemented to prevent any recurrence of these practices, including training provided to relevant staff and documenting policies and procedures to be followed.

The conduct of an employee, formerly attached to the protocol unit, was considered by the internal audit report. As a result, additional analysis of a number of transactions was undertaken. As a result of this analysis, a meeting was held with the Crown Solicitor. The Crown Solicitor referred the matter to the government investigations unit to assist in determining whether any further action should be taken in relation to the employee. The effect of the final advice received from the Crown Solicitor in September 2007 was that there was insufficient grounds to warrant disciplinary action being taken pursuant to provisions of the Public Sector Management Act 1995.

However, there was sufficient cause that the chief executive could, utilising sections 44 and 50 of the Public Sector Management Act, find the employee had performed unsatisfactorily and assign the employee to another role in the Public Service. The chief executive has accepted the recommendations of the Crown Solicitor. The employee has been informed of the chief executive's findings and formally removed from the position. The employee is now being managed as an excess employee of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.