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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-06-29 Daily Xml
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PUBLIC SECTOR PERFORMANCE COMMISSION

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:07): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government a question about the Public Sector Performance Commission.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Just on two years ago the Public Sector Performance Commission was appointed, and the Premier's friend and adviser to his office, Mr Lance Worrall, was appointed to the position. There was recent publicity about that particular appointment, worth more than $300,000 a year. Throughout the last two years the Liberal Party, it is fair to say, has been very critical of the Public Sector Performance Commission, having described it often as a waste of space and a waste of money, with some $3 million a year being spent on the commission.

Last week, the Leader of the Government entered into a passionate defence of not only Mr Worrall but also the Public Sector Performance Commission. At great length he told the Legislative Council about all the wonderful things, in his view, that it had been doing for the last two years.

Information provided to the opposition from a senior government source indicates that the Rann government has finally decided to abolish the Public Sector Performance Commission as of tomorrow. The opposition has also been told that the minister and his officers have been involved in discussions with the Premier about finding another cushy job for Mr Lance Worrall somewhere in the public sector. My questions are:

1. Has the Rann government finally decided to abolish the Public Sector Performance Commission and, if so, what are the reasons for the decision?

2. Has the minister or his officers had any discussions with the Premier or his officers about finding a new cushy job for the Premier's mate, Lance Worrall, and does it involve a contract of up to five years at more than $300,000 per year?

3. If so, was that job advertised, or is it just going to be given to Mr Worrall?

The PRESIDENT: The minister should disregard the opinion in the honourable member's question.

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) (15:09): Well, there wouldn't be much left. There is not a lot that was correct in it, either.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Just answer the question.

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Mr Ridgway!

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: In relation to the abolition or otherwise of the Public Sector Performance Commission, as I understand it the funding for the commission was due to expire on 30 June. The decision of the government is to continue that commission for a period of at least six months until the future of the work that has been undertaken by the Public Sector Performance Commission can be determined.

As I said last week, it is important that there be some central agency of government that looks at the performance of the public sector. The alternative, as I pointed out last week, would be simply to have no focus whatsoever on such things as recruiting the best staff. We should be recruiting within our Public Service, if it is to be of the highest possible calibre, the best graduates from our universities and other people with similar skills. What arrangements we have going forward will be determined over the next six months.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: So it's being abolished at the end of the year.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Well, as I said, we will be looking at other arrangements as to how we go forward. I am not going to speculate on what they might be, other than to say that I expect that there will be some central focus within government on quality and performance within the public sector—as there should be. As to the latter part of the question, I certainly have not been involved in any discussion in relation to that matter.

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