Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Cabinet Secretary and Special Minister of State, Senator Faulkner. Will the minister inform the Senate of measures being taken by the government to ensure that employees of the Australian Public Service perform their duties in accordance with the highest ethical standards? Will the minister take measures also to ensure that parliament is kept informed of Public Service ethics issues?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I acknowledge Senator Moore’s very close and long-term interest in Public Service issues. I am pleased to be able to inform the Senate that the government is today honouring another of its election commitments. It is an important one; I think it is fundamental to our approach to integrity in government. I acknowledge that in September last year my colleague Senator Wong, in an excellent speech on Labor’s approach to the Australian Public Service, said:

A Labor government would require that the Australian Public Service Commissioner provide public ethics advice, as part of its functions.

The government, therefore, is establishing an Ethics Advisory Service within the Australian Public Service Commission. Funds for this purpose are being provided in the 2008-09 additional estimates. It will be operational from April next year.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about the leaking of telephone calls?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know, Senator Abetz, that you have no interest in ethics. Others do.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Faulkner, you should withdraw that comment.

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw it. Obviously he does have an interest. The service will be the key platform within the commission for working with all APS agencies to enhance ethical awareness and decision-making capabilities. As well as providing advice to agencies on specific ethical issues and problems, the service will review and develop publications and advice on ethical issues, establish and maintain an ethics website and a phone line for advice and set up agency networks for the discussion and exchange of views and experiences on ethical issues. There will be an annual report to parliament, which will identify and analyse ongoing and emerging ethical trends and issues. I commend this to all senators in the chamber and I hope all senators will acknowledge that this is an important and very long overdue initiative. (Time expired)

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate of how this Ethics Advisory Service will operate and how it will relate to the responsibilities that agency heads already have for the management of their own departments?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is an important issue that Senator Moore raises in her supplementary question. The commissioner will establish a new ethics team in the APSC. It will assist rather than direct. While emphasising the service-wide standards expected of all public servants, the team’s approach will recognise that individual agencies face particular challenges and acknowledge that some agencies already have arrangements in place for providing advice specifically relevant to their circumstances. The team will assist a network of agencies’ ethics contact officers in responding to ethical issues within agencies. In conjunction with the commissioner, it will also handle queries from agency heads, SES employees and other staff. Although much of its work will be public, the team will be able to handle sensitive issues with appropriate confidentiality when that is required.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Minister, does establishing this new Ethics Advisory Service imply that the government has particular concerns about ethical standards within our public sector?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, it does not. I want to place clearly on the record that the government believes that it and the Australian people are very well served by its public servants, who, with remarkably few exceptions, are honest and hardworking and take extremely seriously the obligations placed on them by the APS Values and the code of conduct set out in the Public Service Act. I hope senators all around the chamber will acknowledge that. I know that Senator Mason does, and I appreciate that.

I think we should never be complacent about these things. The legislation provides a sound framework, but it is the right culture and leadership which matter and which, in all organisations, public and private, need to be carefully nurtured and consistently reinforced. I might say that in honouring this important election commitment the government is providing the means to enhance— (Time expired)