April 20, 2004
Bill positive move but could go further
Some improvements to quality public services will result from the Public Finance (State Sector Management) Bill but it
could go further, PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff said today.
Speaking after the PSA presented its submission on the Bill to the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee today,
Richard Wagstaff said the PSA supported the measures contained within the Bill which aimed to tackle some issues and
needs within the state sector, particularly on senior leadership and management capability needs.
“Last November, the PSA and the Prime Minister signed a renewed Partnership for Quality Agreement, and through this the
PSA works with State sector employers on employment relations matters aimed at achieving quality public services and
quality jobs. We feel that this legislation represents a real opportunity, through the new whole of government directive
powers, for the government to pursue the adoption of its employment relations policies, particularly in collective
bargaining and the promotion of partnership approaches.”
“PSA also welcomes the extension of the State Services Commissioner’s mandate on ethics, values and standards into the
wider state sector, and the standardisation and content specification of Statements of Intent and annual reporting
across the state sector.
“We do, however, have concerns about the State Sector Act 1988 and the Public Finance Act 1989. While the Bill makes
some welcome amendments to these Acts, which will assist with achieving a more ‘connected’ State sector able to deliver
on desired outcomes, we would like to see a more comprehensive reform of the public management legislative framework. In
its current form, we query its ability to deliver adequately on our vision of a modern public service.”
Richard Wagstaff said the PSA also felt some areas of the Bill ignored or did not accurately reflect the intentions of
the Review of the Centre – the government’s review of the public management system – or worked against the realisation
of other policy objectives or legislative aims. Specifically, the PSA does not believe that Crown Research Institutes,
which are Crown entity companies, should be exempt from the provisions of the Bill dealing with matters of integrity and
conduct in the wider state sector.
“Our members in Crown Research Institutes, who are public servants, feel that compliance with such policies need not
compromise necessary scientific and commercial freedoms.”
Ends