Public Service Employees

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:27): I seek leave to make an explanation prior to directing questions to the minister representing the Premier on the subject of gifts to public servants and other public officers.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: A series of questions to the Minister for Police—

The Hon. S.G. Wade: He couldn't answer them.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: My colleague says he couldn't answer them. I am sure that interjection is out of order, Mr President.

The PRESIDENT: Totally out of order.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Indeed, but it is on the record, though. After that out of order interjection, the Minister for Police yesterday, after a series of questions, indicated quite clearly that because a gift given to the wife of the police commissioner wasn't required to be disclosed, he, when invited to do so in relation to whether there were any concerns about that, did not respond in any way to that particular question. The minister's response quite clearly on two or three occasions has been that he just expects the police commissioner to comply with the existing government guidelines.

In relation to the code of ethics for the South Australian public sector issued by the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment, under the heading of 'Acceptance of gifts and benefits', there is the following section:

Public sector employees will not seek or accept gifts or benefits for themselves or others that could be reasonably perceived as influencing them in the performance of their duties and functions as a public sector employee.

It then goes on to mention non-pecuniary gifts or benefits as well and that all employees should comply with any policies, etc., in relation to receiving them.

My questions to the minister representing the Premier, who has responsibility for the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment, are:

1. When the code of ethics for public sector employees refers to 'Public sector employees will not seek or accept gifts or benefits for themselves or others', does the phrase 'or others' include the wives, husbands or partners of public servants?

2. Is there any requirement under the code of ethics, or any other determination of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment, that, if the wife, husband or partner of a public sector employee was to receive a gift or benefit, for them to declare or reveal that in any way?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:30): I thank the honourable member for his question and his dogged pursuit of everything that he does, and I thank him for his dogged pursuit of his strategies and electoral strategies over the last few decades: it has served us very, very well on this side of the chamber. In relation to his questions, I absolutely agree with my colleague the police minister that I expect that everyone should abide by the rules and conditions of how they are employed in the public sector.