A dispute between the ACT Executive and an Assembly committee could delay the creation of a separate ACT Public Service.
At present ACT public servants are in the Federal service. Last year the Federal Government made it clear it wanted the ACT to create its own service and agree to help pay for the transition.
The Assembly set up a committee in June to inquire into the change. In June it asked for a private briefing from senior ACT bureaucrats. Yesterday the Chief Minister, Rosemary Follett, wrote to the committee’s chair, Tony de Domenico, refusing the briefing until after the Government put its submission to the committee on August 13.
Ms Follett wrote that she wanted to consult with her Cabinet before allowing the briefing.
Mr de Domenico said yesterday, “”Should this uncooperative behaviour continue it will mean that the Committee will be hard pressed to finalise its work before the Government proposes to bring in new legislation to allow the ACT to establish its own public service. “”It’s a disappointing response, especially as the Chief Minister has been supposedly working on this issue since May 1992.”
Ms Follett says it is conventional for the Government to put its submission before private briefings are held with senior bureaucrats. The Government would expedite its submission and have it ready by August 13.
Mr de Domenico said it would not have prejudiced the Government’s submission to have had the private briefing first and the disagreement had caused unnecessary delay.