❓ A WA parliamentary question seeks information on staffing levels for monitoring local government authorities and whether budget cuts or government disinterest are impacting this function. The Minister deflects, promising to inquire with the department head.
AnsweredQoN 734Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) How many officers have left the Department of Local Government whose role was to monitor and advise authorities facing management and policy difficulties, which is a function of the Department of Local Government under the Local Government Act? (2) How many officers are left to undertake these inquiries? (3) Is this function of the Department of Local Government being wound down? (4) If so, is it a result of the priority assurance dividend - or “budget cuts” in other terminology - or the Government’s disinterest in local government generally? Hon TOM STEPHENS
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(4) I will start with the fourth part of the question. This Government is not winding down its interest in good local government throughout Western Australia. While the statute is in its current shape, I accept responsibility for ensuring that local government is administered in the best interests of the communities it serves. With reference to the first and second part of the question, I will make inquiries to determine if there has been any change in the number of officers allocated to those functions by the head of the department. As the member will appreciate from his profound and erudite knowledge of the Public Sector Management Act, such issues are properly the domain of the chief executive officer of the department. It is not the sort of issue that would normally be drawn to my attention. I will make inquiries and find out what decision the chief executive officer has made regarding the allocation of resources to those functions, and make the information available to the member.
(2) How many officers are left to undertake these inquiries? (3) Is this function of the Department of Local Government being wound down? (4) If so, is it a result of the priority assurance dividend - or “budget cuts” in other terminology - or the Government’s disinterest in local government generally? Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: (1)-(4) I will start with the fourth part of the question. This Government is not winding down its interest in good local government throughout Western Australia. While the statute is in its current shape, I accept responsibility for ensuring that local government is administered in the best interests of the communities it serves. With reference to the first and second part of the question, I will make inquiries to determine if there has been any change in the number of officers allocated to those functions by the head of the department. As the member will appreciate from his profound and erudite knowledge of the Public Sector Management Act, such issues are properly the domain of the chief executive officer of the department. It is not the sort of issue that would normally be drawn to my attention. I will make inquiries and find out what decision the chief executive officer has made regarding the allocation of resources to those functions, and make the information available to the member.
(3) Is this function of the Department of Local Government being wound down? (4) If so, is it a result of the priority assurance dividend - or “budget cuts” in other terminology - or the Government’s disinterest in local government generally? Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: (1)-(4) I will start with the fourth part of the question. This Government is not winding down its interest in good local government throughout Western Australia. While the statute is in its current shape, I accept responsibility for ensuring that local government is administered in the best interests of the communities it serves. With reference to the first and second part of the question, I will make inquiries to determine if there has been any change in the number of officers allocated to those functions by the head of the department. As the member will appreciate from his profound and erudite knowledge of the Public Sector Management Act, such issues are properly the domain of the chief executive officer of the department. It is not the sort of issue that would normally be drawn to my attention. I will make inquiries and find out what decision the chief executive officer has made regarding the allocation of resources to those functions, and make the information available to the member.
(4) If so, is it a result of the priority assurance dividend - or “budget cuts” in other terminology - or the Government’s disinterest in local government generally? Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: (1)-(4) I will start with the fourth part of the question. This Government is not winding down its interest in good local government throughout Western Australia. While the statute is in its current shape, I accept responsibility for ensuring that local government is administered in the best interests of the communities it serves. With reference to the first and second part of the question, I will make inquiries to determine if there has been any change in the number of officers allocated to those functions by the head of the department. As the member will appreciate from his profound and erudite knowledge of the Public Sector Management Act, such issues are properly the domain of the chief executive officer of the department. It is not the sort of issue that would normally be drawn to my attention. I will make inquiries and find out what decision the chief executive officer has made regarding the allocation of resources to those functions, and make the information available to the member.
Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: (1)-(4) I will start with the fourth part of the question. This Government is not winding down its interest in good local government throughout Western Australia. While the statute is in its current shape, I accept responsibility for ensuring that local government is administered in the best interests of the communities it serves. With reference to the first and second part of the question, I will make inquiries to determine if there has been any change in the number of officers allocated to those functions by the head of the department. As the member will appreciate from his profound and erudite knowledge of the Public Sector Management Act, such issues are properly the domain of the chief executive officer of the department. It is not the sort of issue that would normally be drawn to my attention. I will make inquiries and find out what decision the chief executive officer has made regarding the allocation of resources to those functions, and make the information available to the member.
(1)-(4) I will start with the fourth part of the question. This Government is not winding down its interest in good local government throughout Western Australia. While the statute is in its current shape, I accept responsibility for ensuring that local government is administered in the best interests of the communities it serves. With reference to the first and second part of the question, I will make inquiries to determine if there has been any change in the number of officers allocated to those functions by the head of the department. As the member will appreciate from his profound and erudite knowledge of the Public Sector Management Act, such issues are properly the domain of the chief executive officer of the department. It is not the sort of issue that would normally be drawn to my attention. I will make inquiries and find out what decision the chief executive officer has made regarding the allocation of resources to those functions, and make the information available to the member.
(2) How many officers are left to undertake these inquiries? (3) Is this function of the Department of Local Government being wound down? (4) If so, is it a result of the priority assurance dividend - or “budget cuts” in other terminology - or the Government’s disinterest in local government generally? Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: (1)-(4) I will start with the fourth part of the question. This Government is not winding down its interest in good local government throughout Western Australia. While the statute is in its current shape, I accept responsibility for ensuring that local government is administered in the best interests of the communities it serves. With reference to the first and second part of the question, I will make inquiries to determine if there has been any change in the number of officers allocated to those functions by the head of the department. As the member will appreciate from his profound and erudite knowledge of the Public Sector Management Act, such issues are properly the domain of the chief executive officer of the department. It is not the sort of issue that would normally be drawn to my attention. I will make inquiries and find out what decision the chief executive officer has made regarding the allocation of resources to those functions, and make the information available to the member.
(3) Is this function of the Department of Local Government being wound down? (4) If so, is it a result of the priority assurance dividend - or “budget cuts” in other terminology - or the Government’s disinterest in local government generally? Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: (1)-(4) I will start with the fourth part of the question. This Government is not winding down its interest in good local government throughout Western Australia. While the statute is in its current shape, I accept responsibility for ensuring that local government is administered in the best interests of the communities it serves. With reference to the first and second part of the question, I will make inquiries to determine if there has been any change in the number of officers allocated to those functions by the head of the department. As the member will appreciate from his profound and erudite knowledge of the Public Sector Management Act, such issues are properly the domain of the chief executive officer of the department. It is not the sort of issue that would normally be drawn to my attention. I will make inquiries and find out what decision the chief executive officer has made regarding the allocation of resources to those functions, and make the information available to the member.
(4) If so, is it a result of the priority assurance dividend - or “budget cuts” in other terminology - or the Government’s disinterest in local government generally? Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: (1)-(4) I will start with the fourth part of the question. This Government is not winding down its interest in good local government throughout Western Australia. While the statute is in its current shape, I accept responsibility for ensuring that local government is administered in the best interests of the communities it serves. With reference to the first and second part of the question, I will make inquiries to determine if there has been any change in the number of officers allocated to those functions by the head of the department. As the member will appreciate from his profound and erudite knowledge of the Public Sector Management Act, such issues are properly the domain of the chief executive officer of the department. It is not the sort of issue that would normally be drawn to my attention. I will make inquiries and find out what decision the chief executive officer has made regarding the allocation of resources to those functions, and make the information available to the member.
Hon TOM STEPHENS replied: (1)-(4) I will start with the fourth part of the question. This Government is not winding down its interest in good local government throughout Western Australia. While the statute is in its current shape, I accept responsibility for ensuring that local government is administered in the best interests of the communities it serves. With reference to the first and second part of the question, I will make inquiries to determine if there has been any change in the number of officers allocated to those functions by the head of the department. As the member will appreciate from his profound and erudite knowledge of the Public Sector Management Act, such issues are properly the domain of the chief executive officer of the department. It is not the sort of issue that would normally be drawn to my attention. I will make inquiries and find out what decision the chief executive officer has made regarding the allocation of resources to those functions, and make the information available to the member.
(1)-(4) I will start with the fourth part of the question. This Government is not winding down its interest in good local government throughout Western Australia. While the statute is in its current shape, I accept responsibility for ensuring that local government is administered in the best interests of the communities it serves. With reference to the first and second part of the question, I will make inquiries to determine if there has been any change in the number of officers allocated to those functions by the head of the department. As the member will appreciate from his profound and erudite knowledge of the Public Sector Management Act, such issues are properly the domain of the chief executive officer of the department. It is not the sort of issue that would normally be drawn to my attention. I will make inquiries and find out what decision the chief executive officer has made regarding the allocation of resources to those functions, and make the information available to the member.
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