PUBLIC SECTOR PERFORMANCE COMMISSION

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (15:11): Can the minister briefly explain the difference between the work undertaken by the Public Sector Reform Commission and the Commissioner for Public Employment?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister Assisting the Premier in Public Sector Management) (15:12): The Commissioner for Public Employment has a traditional role in relation to public sector issues, such as discipline and the like and those sort of issues that come up from time to time. The current holder of the position of Public Sector Performance Chief Executive was appointed by Warren McCann, the Commissioner for Public Employment.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: If anyone has no idea, really, it is the shadow minister for tracking the broken promises of government over there, who says that we should not bother about it. For him, there is no need—don't worry about the public sector; it will look after itself. It is too bad if all the best graduates go to the private sector; we will just ignore it, it will just look after itself. If they get into government they will just do again what they did with the health commission—blowouts everywhere because of poor management. Just hide it in the agencies, conceal it and, when it all gets out, attack the head of the Treasury when he exposes it all afterwards—go and bag him. That is the sort of alternative policy we have had put before us today.

To get back to the honourable member's question, specifically, the Public Sector Performance Commission's role is to focus specifically on these performance issues, whereas the Commissioner for Public Employment deals with the more traditional regulatory aspects.