❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding Term of Government (TOG) employees in Ministerial Offices, including numbers, resignations, dismissals, appeals, and harassment complaints. The answer provides data and criticizes the previous government's politicization of the public service.
AnsweredQoN 2005Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) How many Term of Government employees were employed in Ministerial Offices as of 23 November 2008?
(2) How many Term of Government employees were employed in Ministerial Offices as of 23 November 2009?
(3) How many Term of Government employees have resigned since 23 September 2008?
(4) What is the name of the Term of Government employee who resigned and in which Office did the employee work?
(5) On what date did the Term of Government employee resign and what was the Title and Level of the employee?
(6) How many Term of Government employees have been dismissed since 23 September 2008?
(7) What is the name of the Term of Government employee who was dismissed and in which Office did the employee work?
(8) On what date was the Term of Government employee dismissed and what was the Title and Level of the employee?
(9) Has any appeal against dismissal, or more formal legal action been initiated by any former Term of Government employee?
(10) If yes to (9), what is the previous Title and Level of the previous employee?
(11) If yes to (9), what is the nature of the appeal or more formal legal action?
(12) If yes to (9), what is the name of the employee and in which Office did the employee work?
(13) Since 23 September 2008, has any Term of Government employee initiated any formal appeal or complaint for harassment or discrimination in the workplace?
(14) If yes to (13), on what date was the formal appeal or complaint lodged?
(15) If yes to (13), what is the name of the employee and in which Office did the employee work?
(2) How many Term of Government employees were employed in Ministerial Offices as of 23 November 2009?
(3) How many Term of Government employees have resigned since 23 September 2008?
(4) What is the name of the Term of Government employee who resigned and in which Office did the employee work?
(5) On what date did the Term of Government employee resign and what was the Title and Level of the employee?
(6) How many Term of Government employees have been dismissed since 23 September 2008?
(7) What is the name of the Term of Government employee who was dismissed and in which Office did the employee work?
(8) On what date was the Term of Government employee dismissed and what was the Title and Level of the employee?
(9) Has any appeal against dismissal, or more formal legal action been initiated by any former Term of Government employee?
(10) If yes to (9), what is the previous Title and Level of the previous employee?
(11) If yes to (9), what is the nature of the appeal or more formal legal action?
(12) If yes to (9), what is the name of the employee and in which Office did the employee work?
(13) Since 23 September 2008, has any Term of Government employee initiated any formal appeal or complaint for harassment or discrimination in the workplace?
(14) If yes to (13), on what date was the formal appeal or complaint lodged?
(15) If yes to (13), what is the name of the employee and in which Office did the employee work?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
22 February 2010
Response time
89 days
(1-2) The member would well recall that the previous government came under significant criticism for its politicisation of the public service throughout departments and agencies.
In November 2006 the then Public Sector Standards Commissioner Maxine Murray released the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards Ten Year Review. This was a damning report exposing the fact that Labor Government Ministers tried to interfere in the appointment of staff to the public service in direct contravention of the Public Sector Management Act.
The Commissioner stated:
"The intent of s105 of the PSM Act is to prohibit the political manipulation of public sector appointments...
"It is therefore of concern that comments made during feedback on the Commissioner's discussion paper indicated that some ministers do communicate, and seek to influence, CEOs about second tier employment decision."
In relation to Term of Government (TOG) employees employed in Ministerial offices in the Member's questions, it is noted that at 23 November 2008, the first day of the new government and prior to full staffing levels being reached, there were 108 TOGS employed under Section 68 of the Public Service Management Act. On 23 November 2009, after vacancies were filled there were 117 TOGs employed under Section 68 of the Public Service Management Act.
This compares to 154 TOGs in Ministerial Offices in July 2006 under the former Government.
Again referring to the scathing findings of the then Public Sector Standards Commissioner, the Commissioner found that under the previous Labor Government there was an increasing use of public servants as political tools, the number of ministerial staff had blown out by 50 per cent since 2001 and the number of "management initiated retirements" had doubled in the five years since 2001 compared to the previous five-year period.
The Commissioner was also scathing of the Carpenter Government's practice of parachuting Labor Party executives, like Sharryn Jackson, into highly paid jobs, funded by taxpayers, without any merit-based selection process.
The Liberal-National Government has strived to return independence to the public service that, as outlined by reports by the former Public Sector Standards Commissioner, had been abandoned by the previous government.
A further point of interest for the member in relation to politicisation of the public service is the current number of Term of Government employees employed in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet is one. As at 6 September 2008 there were 25 Term of Government employees in the then policy division alone.
(3) 11
(4-5)
Helen McNeil, Hon Peter Collier, 22 September 2009, Principal Policy Adviser, Level 8.
Grant Smith, Hon G G Jacobs, 18 September 2009, Liaison Officer, Level 4.
Aurore Humphreys, Premier's Office, 18 September 2009, Principal Policy Adviser, Level 7
Susanna Ling, Hon B J Grylls, 28 August 2009, Principal Policy Adviser, Level 7.
Constance Smith, Hon E Constable, 25 June 2009, Appointments Secretary, Level 3.
Donna Cole, GMO, 26 June 2009, Senior Media Adviser, SMA2
Steve Thomas, Hon D T Redman, 19 June 2009, Principal Policy Officer, Level 8.
Isabel Smith, Hon B J Grylls, 5 June 2009, Reception/Admin Assistant, Level 2.
Stephanie Wawn, Hon D Faragher, 1 May 2009, Liaison Officer, Level 4.
Donna Maitland-Smith, Hon E Constable, 1 May 2009, Reception/Admin Assistant, Level 1.
Rachel Sewell, Hon R F Johnson, 4 December 2008, Reception/Admin Assistant, Level 2.
(6-8) No employee has been dismissed, however, Ms Jane Simpson's contract as a Media Adviser, MA1 in Hon B Grylls' office was terminated when her position became surplus to requirements and was abolished.
(9) It is noted the Member has also asked separate questions relating to a specific individual. The delineation between these two questions should be properly understood by the Member.
(10-12) Not applicable.
(13) No
(14-15) Not applicable.
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In November 2006 the then Public Sector Standards Commissioner Maxine Murray released the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards Ten Year Review. This was a damning report exposing the fact that Labor Government Ministers tried to interfere in the appointment of staff to the public service in direct contravention of the Public Sector Management Act.
The Commissioner stated:
"The intent of s105 of the PSM Act is to prohibit the political manipulation of public sector appointments...
"It is therefore of concern that comments made during feedback on the Commissioner's discussion paper indicated that some ministers do communicate, and seek to influence, CEOs about second tier employment decision."
In relation to Term of Government (TOG) employees employed in Ministerial offices in the Member's questions, it is noted that at 23 November 2008, the first day of the new government and prior to full staffing levels being reached, there were 108 TOGS employed under Section 68 of the Public Service Management Act. On 23 November 2009, after vacancies were filled there were 117 TOGs employed under Section 68 of the Public Service Management Act.
This compares to 154 TOGs in Ministerial Offices in July 2006 under the former Government.
Again referring to the scathing findings of the then Public Sector Standards Commissioner, the Commissioner found that under the previous Labor Government there was an increasing use of public servants as political tools, the number of ministerial staff had blown out by 50 per cent since 2001 and the number of "management initiated retirements" had doubled in the five years since 2001 compared to the previous five-year period.
The Commissioner was also scathing of the Carpenter Government's practice of parachuting Labor Party executives, like Sharryn Jackson, into highly paid jobs, funded by taxpayers, without any merit-based selection process.
The Liberal-National Government has strived to return independence to the public service that, as outlined by reports by the former Public Sector Standards Commissioner, had been abandoned by the previous government.
A further point of interest for the member in relation to politicisation of the public service is the current number of Term of Government employees employed in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet is one. As at 6 September 2008 there were 25 Term of Government employees in the then policy division alone.
(3) 11
(4-5)
Helen McNeil, Hon Peter Collier, 22 September 2009, Principal Policy Adviser, Level 8.
Grant Smith, Hon G G Jacobs, 18 September 2009, Liaison Officer, Level 4.
Aurore Humphreys, Premier's Office, 18 September 2009, Principal Policy Adviser, Level 7
Susanna Ling, Hon B J Grylls, 28 August 2009, Principal Policy Adviser, Level 7.
Constance Smith, Hon E Constable, 25 June 2009, Appointments Secretary, Level 3.
Donna Cole, GMO, 26 June 2009, Senior Media Adviser, SMA2
Steve Thomas, Hon D T Redman, 19 June 2009, Principal Policy Officer, Level 8.
Isabel Smith, Hon B J Grylls, 5 June 2009, Reception/Admin Assistant, Level 2.
Stephanie Wawn, Hon D Faragher, 1 May 2009, Liaison Officer, Level 4.
Donna Maitland-Smith, Hon E Constable, 1 May 2009, Reception/Admin Assistant, Level 1.
Rachel Sewell, Hon R F Johnson, 4 December 2008, Reception/Admin Assistant, Level 2.
(6-8) No employee has been dismissed, however, Ms Jane Simpson's contract as a Media Adviser, MA1 in Hon B Grylls' office was terminated when her position became surplus to requirements and was abolished.
(9) It is noted the Member has also asked separate questions relating to a specific individual. The delineation between these two questions should be properly understood by the Member.
(10-12) Not applicable.
(13) No
(14-15) Not applicable.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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