❓ A parliamentary question regarding the potential redundancy of the Department of Environmental Protection's CEO and other senior public servants. The Minister deflects, citing the Premier's responsibility under the Public Sector Management Act.
AnsweredQoN 153Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, REDUNDANCY
(1) Can the minister please confirm that the chief executive officer of the Department of Environmental Protection has been offered redundancy and will be leaving his position? (2) Can the minister advise the House whether any other senior public servants in any of her portfolio areas have been or will be offered redundancy packages? Dr EDWARDS
(1) Can the minister please confirm that the chief executive officer of the Department of Environmental Protection has been offered redundancy and will be leaving his position? (2) Can the minister advise the House whether any other senior public servants in any of her portfolio areas have been or will be offered redundancy packages? Dr EDWARDS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for this question. (1)-(2) I cannot comment on the redundancy packages offered to CEOs because under the Public Sector Management Act that is an issue between the CEO and the Premier. However, I can comment on the Machinery of Government Taskforce, which has delivered three outcomes in my area: the Environment Protection Authority has enhanced capacity and two divisions that are intimately linked with the EPA are now working directly with the EPA, so that we get a much better outcome than we had in the past. I believe the whole community will embrace that, which is a fine outcome of the process we have been through. After a deal of deliberation, the Government decided to make only one change to the Department of Conservation and Land Management; that is, to call it the Department of Conservation. The previous Government undertook a major change to CALM, which change needs time to settle down so that the work in the regions can continue and come to fruition. On 1 July, a new department will be formed from aspects of the Water and Rivers Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection. The new department of environment, water and catchment protection will provide better outcomes than we are getting currently and will better integrate decision making, particularly for some development approvals that will not be required to go through so many processes. I cannot comment on what individuals are up to; that is an issue for the Premier. Mr Barnett: You are the minister. You must know whether Dr Bryan Jenkins is leaving the public service. It is your public responsibility to know and to answer that question in this Parliament. Is he going or not? Don’t you know? Dr EDWARDS: Mr Speaker, I believe the Leader of the Opposition is having a midlife crisis! Parked in the Opposition’s parking bay in the car park is a fantastic red Italian motorcycle. I would love to know who on the opposition bench will own up to the Ducati with 41 000 kilometres on the clock. Mr Barnett: Haven’t you been told? You are dressed for it! Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
(2) Can the minister advise the House whether any other senior public servants in any of her portfolio areas have been or will be offered redundancy packages? Dr EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for this question. (1)-(2) I cannot comment on the redundancy packages offered to CEOs because under the Public Sector Management Act that is an issue between the CEO and the Premier. However, I can comment on the Machinery of Government Taskforce, which has delivered three outcomes in my area: the Environment Protection Authority has enhanced capacity and two divisions that are intimately linked with the EPA are now working directly with the EPA, so that we get a much better outcome than we had in the past. I believe the whole community will embrace that, which is a fine outcome of the process we have been through. After a deal of deliberation, the Government decided to make only one change to the Department of Conservation and Land Management; that is, to call it the Department of Conservation. The previous Government undertook a major change to CALM, which change needs time to settle down so that the work in the regions can continue and come to fruition. On 1 July, a new department will be formed from aspects of the Water and Rivers Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection. The new department of environment, water and catchment protection will provide better outcomes than we are getting currently and will better integrate decision making, particularly for some development approvals that will not be required to go through so many processes. I cannot comment on what individuals are up to; that is an issue for the Premier. Mr Barnett: You are the minister. You must know whether Dr Bryan Jenkins is leaving the public service. It is your public responsibility to know and to answer that question in this Parliament. Is he going or not? Don’t you know? Dr EDWARDS: Mr Speaker, I believe the Leader of the Opposition is having a midlife crisis! Parked in the Opposition’s parking bay in the car park is a fantastic red Italian motorcycle. I would love to know who on the opposition bench will own up to the Ducati with 41 000 kilometres on the clock. Mr Barnett: Haven’t you been told? You are dressed for it! Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
Dr EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for this question. (1)-(2) I cannot comment on the redundancy packages offered to CEOs because under the Public Sector Management Act that is an issue between the CEO and the Premier. However, I can comment on the Machinery of Government Taskforce, which has delivered three outcomes in my area: the Environment Protection Authority has enhanced capacity and two divisions that are intimately linked with the EPA are now working directly with the EPA, so that we get a much better outcome than we had in the past. I believe the whole community will embrace that, which is a fine outcome of the process we have been through. After a deal of deliberation, the Government decided to make only one change to the Department of Conservation and Land Management; that is, to call it the Department of Conservation. The previous Government undertook a major change to CALM, which change needs time to settle down so that the work in the regions can continue and come to fruition. On 1 July, a new department will be formed from aspects of the Water and Rivers Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection. The new department of environment, water and catchment protection will provide better outcomes than we are getting currently and will better integrate decision making, particularly for some development approvals that will not be required to go through so many processes. I cannot comment on what individuals are up to; that is an issue for the Premier. Mr Barnett: You are the minister. You must know whether Dr Bryan Jenkins is leaving the public service. It is your public responsibility to know and to answer that question in this Parliament. Is he going or not? Don’t you know? Dr EDWARDS: Mr Speaker, I believe the Leader of the Opposition is having a midlife crisis! Parked in the Opposition’s parking bay in the car park is a fantastic red Italian motorcycle. I would love to know who on the opposition bench will own up to the Ducati with 41 000 kilometres on the clock. Mr Barnett: Haven’t you been told? You are dressed for it! Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
I thank the member for this question. (1)-(2) I cannot comment on the redundancy packages offered to CEOs because under the Public Sector Management Act that is an issue between the CEO and the Premier. However, I can comment on the Machinery of Government Taskforce, which has delivered three outcomes in my area: the Environment Protection Authority has enhanced capacity and two divisions that are intimately linked with the EPA are now working directly with the EPA, so that we get a much better outcome than we had in the past. I believe the whole community will embrace that, which is a fine outcome of the process we have been through. After a deal of deliberation, the Government decided to make only one change to the Department of Conservation and Land Management; that is, to call it the Department of Conservation. The previous Government undertook a major change to CALM, which change needs time to settle down so that the work in the regions can continue and come to fruition. On 1 July, a new department will be formed from aspects of the Water and Rivers Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection. The new department of environment, water and catchment protection will provide better outcomes than we are getting currently and will better integrate decision making, particularly for some development approvals that will not be required to go through so many processes. I cannot comment on what individuals are up to; that is an issue for the Premier. Mr Barnett: You are the minister. You must know whether Dr Bryan Jenkins is leaving the public service. It is your public responsibility to know and to answer that question in this Parliament. Is he going or not? Don’t you know? Dr EDWARDS: Mr Speaker, I believe the Leader of the Opposition is having a midlife crisis! Parked in the Opposition’s parking bay in the car park is a fantastic red Italian motorcycle. I would love to know who on the opposition bench will own up to the Ducati with 41 000 kilometres on the clock. Mr Barnett: Haven’t you been told? You are dressed for it! Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
(1)-(2) I cannot comment on the redundancy packages offered to CEOs because under the Public Sector Management Act that is an issue between the CEO and the Premier. However, I can comment on the Machinery of Government Taskforce, which has delivered three outcomes in my area: the Environment Protection Authority has enhanced capacity and two divisions that are intimately linked with the EPA are now working directly with the EPA, so that we get a much better outcome than we had in the past. I believe the whole community will embrace that, which is a fine outcome of the process we have been through. After a deal of deliberation, the Government decided to make only one change to the Department of Conservation and Land Management; that is, to call it the Department of Conservation. The previous Government undertook a major change to CALM, which change needs time to settle down so that the work in the regions can continue and come to fruition. On 1 July, a new department will be formed from aspects of the Water and Rivers Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection. The new department of environment, water and catchment protection will provide better outcomes than we are getting currently and will better integrate decision making, particularly for some development approvals that will not be required to go through so many processes. I cannot comment on what individuals are up to; that is an issue for the Premier. Mr Barnett: You are the minister. You must know whether Dr Bryan Jenkins is leaving the public service. It is your public responsibility to know and to answer that question in this Parliament. Is he going or not? Don’t you know? Dr EDWARDS: Mr Speaker, I believe the Leader of the Opposition is having a midlife crisis! Parked in the Opposition’s parking bay in the car park is a fantastic red Italian motorcycle. I would love to know who on the opposition bench will own up to the Ducati with 41 000 kilometres on the clock. Mr Barnett: Haven’t you been told? You are dressed for it! Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
Dr EDWARDS: Mr Speaker, I believe the Leader of the Opposition is having a midlife crisis! Parked in the Opposition’s parking bay in the car park is a fantastic red Italian motorcycle. I would love to know who on the opposition bench will own up to the Ducati with 41 000 kilometres on the clock. Mr Barnett: Haven’t you been told? You are dressed for it! Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
Mr Barnett: Haven’t you been told? You are dressed for it! Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
(2) Can the minister advise the House whether any other senior public servants in any of her portfolio areas have been or will be offered redundancy packages? Dr EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for this question. (1)-(2) I cannot comment on the redundancy packages offered to CEOs because under the Public Sector Management Act that is an issue between the CEO and the Premier. However, I can comment on the Machinery of Government Taskforce, which has delivered three outcomes in my area: the Environment Protection Authority has enhanced capacity and two divisions that are intimately linked with the EPA are now working directly with the EPA, so that we get a much better outcome than we had in the past. I believe the whole community will embrace that, which is a fine outcome of the process we have been through. After a deal of deliberation, the Government decided to make only one change to the Department of Conservation and Land Management; that is, to call it the Department of Conservation. The previous Government undertook a major change to CALM, which change needs time to settle down so that the work in the regions can continue and come to fruition. On 1 July, a new department will be formed from aspects of the Water and Rivers Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection. The new department of environment, water and catchment protection will provide better outcomes than we are getting currently and will better integrate decision making, particularly for some development approvals that will not be required to go through so many processes. I cannot comment on what individuals are up to; that is an issue for the Premier. Mr Barnett: You are the minister. You must know whether Dr Bryan Jenkins is leaving the public service. It is your public responsibility to know and to answer that question in this Parliament. Is he going or not? Don’t you know? Dr EDWARDS: Mr Speaker, I believe the Leader of the Opposition is having a midlife crisis! Parked in the Opposition’s parking bay in the car park is a fantastic red Italian motorcycle. I would love to know who on the opposition bench will own up to the Ducati with 41 000 kilometres on the clock. Mr Barnett: Haven’t you been told? You are dressed for it! Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
Dr EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for this question. (1)-(2) I cannot comment on the redundancy packages offered to CEOs because under the Public Sector Management Act that is an issue between the CEO and the Premier. However, I can comment on the Machinery of Government Taskforce, which has delivered three outcomes in my area: the Environment Protection Authority has enhanced capacity and two divisions that are intimately linked with the EPA are now working directly with the EPA, so that we get a much better outcome than we had in the past. I believe the whole community will embrace that, which is a fine outcome of the process we have been through. After a deal of deliberation, the Government decided to make only one change to the Department of Conservation and Land Management; that is, to call it the Department of Conservation. The previous Government undertook a major change to CALM, which change needs time to settle down so that the work in the regions can continue and come to fruition. On 1 July, a new department will be formed from aspects of the Water and Rivers Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection. The new department of environment, water and catchment protection will provide better outcomes than we are getting currently and will better integrate decision making, particularly for some development approvals that will not be required to go through so many processes. I cannot comment on what individuals are up to; that is an issue for the Premier. Mr Barnett: You are the minister. You must know whether Dr Bryan Jenkins is leaving the public service. It is your public responsibility to know and to answer that question in this Parliament. Is he going or not? Don’t you know? Dr EDWARDS: Mr Speaker, I believe the Leader of the Opposition is having a midlife crisis! Parked in the Opposition’s parking bay in the car park is a fantastic red Italian motorcycle. I would love to know who on the opposition bench will own up to the Ducati with 41 000 kilometres on the clock. Mr Barnett: Haven’t you been told? You are dressed for it! Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
I thank the member for this question. (1)-(2) I cannot comment on the redundancy packages offered to CEOs because under the Public Sector Management Act that is an issue between the CEO and the Premier. However, I can comment on the Machinery of Government Taskforce, which has delivered three outcomes in my area: the Environment Protection Authority has enhanced capacity and two divisions that are intimately linked with the EPA are now working directly with the EPA, so that we get a much better outcome than we had in the past. I believe the whole community will embrace that, which is a fine outcome of the process we have been through. After a deal of deliberation, the Government decided to make only one change to the Department of Conservation and Land Management; that is, to call it the Department of Conservation. The previous Government undertook a major change to CALM, which change needs time to settle down so that the work in the regions can continue and come to fruition. On 1 July, a new department will be formed from aspects of the Water and Rivers Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection. The new department of environment, water and catchment protection will provide better outcomes than we are getting currently and will better integrate decision making, particularly for some development approvals that will not be required to go through so many processes. I cannot comment on what individuals are up to; that is an issue for the Premier. Mr Barnett: You are the minister. You must know whether Dr Bryan Jenkins is leaving the public service. It is your public responsibility to know and to answer that question in this Parliament. Is he going or not? Don’t you know? Dr EDWARDS: Mr Speaker, I believe the Leader of the Opposition is having a midlife crisis! Parked in the Opposition’s parking bay in the car park is a fantastic red Italian motorcycle. I would love to know who on the opposition bench will own up to the Ducati with 41 000 kilometres on the clock. Mr Barnett: Haven’t you been told? You are dressed for it! Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
(1)-(2) I cannot comment on the redundancy packages offered to CEOs because under the Public Sector Management Act that is an issue between the CEO and the Premier. However, I can comment on the Machinery of Government Taskforce, which has delivered three outcomes in my area: the Environment Protection Authority has enhanced capacity and two divisions that are intimately linked with the EPA are now working directly with the EPA, so that we get a much better outcome than we had in the past. I believe the whole community will embrace that, which is a fine outcome of the process we have been through. After a deal of deliberation, the Government decided to make only one change to the Department of Conservation and Land Management; that is, to call it the Department of Conservation. The previous Government undertook a major change to CALM, which change needs time to settle down so that the work in the regions can continue and come to fruition. On 1 July, a new department will be formed from aspects of the Water and Rivers Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection. The new department of environment, water and catchment protection will provide better outcomes than we are getting currently and will better integrate decision making, particularly for some development approvals that will not be required to go through so many processes. I cannot comment on what individuals are up to; that is an issue for the Premier. Mr Barnett: You are the minister. You must know whether Dr Bryan Jenkins is leaving the public service. It is your public responsibility to know and to answer that question in this Parliament. Is he going or not? Don’t you know? Dr EDWARDS: Mr Speaker, I believe the Leader of the Opposition is having a midlife crisis! Parked in the Opposition’s parking bay in the car park is a fantastic red Italian motorcycle. I would love to know who on the opposition bench will own up to the Ducati with 41 000 kilometres on the clock. Mr Barnett: Haven’t you been told? You are dressed for it! Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
Dr EDWARDS: Mr Speaker, I believe the Leader of the Opposition is having a midlife crisis! Parked in the Opposition’s parking bay in the car park is a fantastic red Italian motorcycle. I would love to know who on the opposition bench will own up to the Ducati with 41 000 kilometres on the clock. Mr Barnett: Haven’t you been told? You are dressed for it! Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
Mr Barnett: Haven’t you been told? You are dressed for it! Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
Dr EDWARDS: The Leader of the Opposition is definitely having a midlife crisis; he has just confirmed it. It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition does not know about the terms of the Public Sector Management Act. Whatever chief executive officers do is between them and the Premier, who is the Minister for Public Sector Management. Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
Mr McGinty: On your bike! Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
Dr EDWARDS: On your bike!
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