❓ A parliamentary question regarding the circumstances surrounding the retirement of Ian Longson, the Director General of the Department of Agriculture and Food. The Minister denies asking for his resignation or offering redundancy, but confirms a compensation payment was made.
AnsweredQoN 623Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Ian longson — retirement from department of agriculture and food
I refer to the recent departure of Mr Ian Longson as the Director General of the Department of Agriculture and Food and a media report on the ABC website dated 29 May 2009, which stated that the minister thought it would be time to get a good fresh team in place. (1) Did the minister ask Mr Longson to resign as the director general of the department? (2) Was Mr Longson offered a management-initiated redundancy? (3) Was this option of moving Mr Longson from the position of director general being canvassed by the minister prior to the September 2008 state election? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY
I refer to the recent departure of Mr Ian Longson as the Director General of the Department of Agriculture and Food and a media report on the ABC website dated 29 May 2009, which stated that the minister thought it would be time to get a good fresh team in place. (1) Did the minister ask Mr Longson to resign as the director general of the department? (2) Was Mr Longson offered a management-initiated redundancy? (3) Was this option of moving Mr Longson from the position of director general being canvassed by the minister prior to the September 2008 state election? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY
AnswerView source ↗
The minister has responded — (1) No. Mr Longson and I discussed and agreed that having regard for the proposed future direction of the Department of Agriculture and Food and to facilitate the appointment of a new director general, it would be an appropriate time for him to retire from the department. (2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
(1) Did the minister ask Mr Longson to resign as the director general of the department? (2) Was Mr Longson offered a management-initiated redundancy? (3) Was this option of moving Mr Longson from the position of director general being canvassed by the minister prior to the September 2008 state election? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: The minister has responded — (1) No. Mr Longson and I discussed and agreed that having regard for the proposed future direction of the Department of Agriculture and Food and to facilitate the appointment of a new director general, it would be an appropriate time for him to retire from the department. (2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
(2) Was Mr Longson offered a management-initiated redundancy? (3) Was this option of moving Mr Longson from the position of director general being canvassed by the minister prior to the September 2008 state election? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: The minister has responded — (1) No. Mr Longson and I discussed and agreed that having regard for the proposed future direction of the Department of Agriculture and Food and to facilitate the appointment of a new director general, it would be an appropriate time for him to retire from the department. (2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
(3) Was this option of moving Mr Longson from the position of director general being canvassed by the minister prior to the September 2008 state election? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: The minister has responded — (1) No. Mr Longson and I discussed and agreed that having regard for the proposed future direction of the Department of Agriculture and Food and to facilitate the appointment of a new director general, it would be an appropriate time for him to retire from the department. (2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: The minister has responded — (1) No. Mr Longson and I discussed and agreed that having regard for the proposed future direction of the Department of Agriculture and Food and to facilitate the appointment of a new director general, it would be an appropriate time for him to retire from the department. (2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
The minister has responded — (1) No. Mr Longson and I discussed and agreed that having regard for the proposed future direction of the Department of Agriculture and Food and to facilitate the appointment of a new director general, it would be an appropriate time for him to retire from the department. (2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
(1) No. Mr Longson and I discussed and agreed that having regard for the proposed future direction of the Department of Agriculture and Food and to facilitate the appointment of a new director general, it would be an appropriate time for him to retire from the department. (2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
(2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
(3) No.
(1) Did the minister ask Mr Longson to resign as the director general of the department? (2) Was Mr Longson offered a management-initiated redundancy? (3) Was this option of moving Mr Longson from the position of director general being canvassed by the minister prior to the September 2008 state election? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: The minister has responded — (1) No. Mr Longson and I discussed and agreed that having regard for the proposed future direction of the Department of Agriculture and Food and to facilitate the appointment of a new director general, it would be an appropriate time for him to retire from the department. (2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
(2) Was Mr Longson offered a management-initiated redundancy? (3) Was this option of moving Mr Longson from the position of director general being canvassed by the minister prior to the September 2008 state election? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: The minister has responded — (1) No. Mr Longson and I discussed and agreed that having regard for the proposed future direction of the Department of Agriculture and Food and to facilitate the appointment of a new director general, it would be an appropriate time for him to retire from the department. (2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
(3) Was this option of moving Mr Longson from the position of director general being canvassed by the minister prior to the September 2008 state election? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: The minister has responded — (1) No. Mr Longson and I discussed and agreed that having regard for the proposed future direction of the Department of Agriculture and Food and to facilitate the appointment of a new director general, it would be an appropriate time for him to retire from the department. (2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: The minister has responded — (1) No. Mr Longson and I discussed and agreed that having regard for the proposed future direction of the Department of Agriculture and Food and to facilitate the appointment of a new director general, it would be an appropriate time for him to retire from the department. (2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
The minister has responded — (1) No. Mr Longson and I discussed and agreed that having regard for the proposed future direction of the Department of Agriculture and Food and to facilitate the appointment of a new director general, it would be an appropriate time for him to retire from the department. (2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
(1) No. Mr Longson and I discussed and agreed that having regard for the proposed future direction of the Department of Agriculture and Food and to facilitate the appointment of a new director general, it would be an appropriate time for him to retire from the department. (2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
(2) No. However, Mr Longson was provided with a compensation payment under section 59 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994, in recognition of his contract being brought to an end prior to the normal expiry of his contract. The payment made was for three months’ compensation, and was less than that which Mr Longson would have received had he remained until the expiry of his contract. (3) No.
(3) No.
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