ACT Public Sector Employees will have a clear statement of principles and obligations from Day One in the new service.
And this will be the base of disciplinary practice.
Unlike the Commonwealth and most state public-sector employees ACT employees will have a code which can be found in one place, Section 9 of the Public Sector Management Act.
Further, all disciplinary matters a conducted with reference to the code. Section 179 says “”an officer shall be taken to have failed to fulfil his or her duty as an officer only if he or she fails to comply with Section 9.
Most other public-sector employees find their obligations in common law, in sometimes vaguely worded statutes and sometimes in contracts of employment.
The Section 9 code for ACT employees provides (in summary):
1. to act with reasonable care and skill.
2. to act impartially.
3. to act with probity.
4. to treat members of the public and other public employees with courtesy and sensitivity to their rights, duties and aspirations.
5. to make all efforts to assist them understand their entitlements and requirements under law.
6. not to harass them sexually or otherwise.
7. not to unlawfully coerce them.
8. to comply with the Public Sector management Act and all laws of the territory.
9. to comply with lawful directions of people in authority.
10. to declare and takes steps to avoid conflicts of interest.
11. not to take improper advantage of his or her position.
12. not to take improper advantage of information received in employment.
13. not to disclose information acquired as a consequence of his or her employment.
14. not to make a comment which he or she is not authorised to make where the comment may be expected to be taken to be an official comment.
15. not to make improper use of territory property.
16. to avoid waste and extravagance.
17. to report suspected corruption, fraud and maladministration.