Premier's Excellence Awards

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS (14:43): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector Employment. Will the minister update the council on the Premier's Excellence Awards for the public sector in the category of SA Public Sector Values?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:44): I thank the honourable member for her question and her interest in this area. It is certainly a privilege to be able to outline the very valuable work that members and individuals and parts of our public sector play in our community in South Australia. Certainly, over the last couple of years during our crises, being the COVID-19 pandemic, bushfires and flooding events, the role that many members of the public sector organisations play in going above and beyond has been sharply highlighted.

I am pleased to be able to update the council on the finalists and winners in the Public Sector Values category. This category recognises an individual's or team's demonstration of the South Australian public sector values in their service delivery, including practical examples where an individual or an organisation has embodied the following in their values in their service delivery:

service—demonstrated excellence in service provisions;

professionalism—demonstrated excellence in professional conduct;

trust—demonstrated competence in other people;

respect—demonstrated excellence in the people who are engaged;

collaboration and engagement—demonstrated collaborative approaches to identifying solutions;

honesty and integrity—demonstrating honesty, consistency and fairness;

courage and tenacity—demonstrating perseverance; and

sustainability—demonstrating a focus on solutions that continue to produce outcomes for the community over the long term.

I am pleased to advise the chamber of the finalists and the winner in the individual category, the finalists being:

Jonathon Lambert, from the Attorney-General's Department, who compassionately and skilfully leads a team of committed lawyers who continue to provide outstanding work in what can be a complex and emotional environment in the Youth Court;

Meet Kansara, whose procurement and contract management work within the Department for Health and Wellbeing has been integral in saving the state millions of dollars without compromising on quality and care; and

the last finalist and winner of the individual category is David Francis, from the Department for Child Protection. David is an inspiring, passionate and dedicated member of the team and is dedicated to making sure Aboriginal children and young people gain the best possible outcomes by remaining connected to their people and their country.

In the group category, the finalists were:

the Cadell CFS, from the Department for Correctional Services, for its tireless assistance in the Riverland during the recent flooding event;

the Lung Transplant COVID-19 Response Team, from the Central Adelaide Local Health Network, which created and implemented an innovative high-level care plan that's kept vulnerable transplant recipients safe from COVID-19; and

the final finalist and winner of the group award was Service SA for its agile, flexible response in stepping up in the wake of the Optus hack which left tens of thousands of South Australians needing new driver's licences and proof of age identification.

It's clear from the contributions not just of these finalists but so many in our public sector that we often owe a significant debt of gratitude for the hard work, expertise and compassion of our tireless public sector. I sincerely congratulate the finalists and the winners for their outstanding work and contribution to the South Australian community.