Commissioner for Public Sector Employment

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for the Public Sector) (14:27): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: I inform the house that Mr Warren McCann resigned as Commissioner for Public Sector Employment with effect from 30 June 2014. Mr McCann's term as Commissioner was due to expire in October this year. I would like to take this opportunity to place on the record in this house the government's thanks to Mr McCann for his years of service to the South Australian public. After working at senior levels in the commonwealth and Victorian Public Service, Mr McCann played a key role in implementing many of the major reforms undertaken by this government in the past 12 years.

I am also pleased to inform the house that the Governor has approved the appointment, effective today, of a new Commissioner for Public Sector Employment, Ms Erma Ranieri. Her appointment to this important role completes the reform process to streamline the central government work on public sector management that began with an election commitment to merge three existing administrative units, including one run by Ms Ranieri.

After the completion of a review of the best way to manage the merger and structure of the new office, I advised the house on 3 June that Ms Ranieri would lead the Office for Public Sector Renewal. I can now report to the house that, along with that role, Ms Ranieri has been engaged also to perform statutory functions as commissioner.

Her appointment as Commissioner for Public Sector Employment is of the greatest interest across the public sector, as is the process undertaken to select the appropriate candidate to replace Mr McCann. On 6 May, I indicated to the house that I had not at that point turned my mind to the process to best ensure that the candidate to be recommended to the Governor for this position was of the highest merit.

I can now inform the house that, acting on advice I subsequently received, the selection of the recommended candidate was determined by the establishment of a subcommittee of the Senior Management Council, chaired by the Chief Executive of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. This subcommittee identified suitable candidates and undertook a due diligence process appropriate for a position of this nature.

Ms Ranieri was identified by this process as an eminently qualified candidate for the role of commissioner. She acted as commissioner for an extended period last year, has been chief executive of the Office for Public Sector Renewal and deputy chief executive of the Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy. Ms Ranieri's appointment will contribute to the realisation of the government's goal of rationalising public sector renewal, workforce relations and public sector review functions, and supporting the development of a more innovative and higher performing public sector that consistently delivers excellence.