The Australian Public Service Commissioner, John Lloyd (pictured) has responded sternly to reports in a Canberra newspaper relating to the Australian Public Service (APS), “emphatically rejecting” one and declaring another “inaccurate and potentially misleading”.
Responding to an article entitled ‘Wasting Time’ in the Canberra Times in which the author accused the Commissioner’s office or “appearing to demonstrate contempt for Parliament’s questions” Mr Lloyd told the newspaper “I emphatically reject your assertion.”
“I find such comments offensive to the professionalism of my staff,” Mr Lloyd said.
“We take our responsibilities dealing with Parliamentary committees very seriously and never mislead any Parliamentary committee.”
Mr Lloyd also took aim at a second article in the same newspaper claiming the Commonwealth was using its enterprise bargaining negotiations to seek common terms between enterprise agreements for Departments.
“I consider contentions in the article … to be inaccurate and potentially misleading,” Mr Lloyd said in a letter to the editor.
“In reality the opposite occurs. Departments and agencies are able to negotiate terms and conditions that suit their circumstances.
“This is undertaken within a bargaining policy framework mandated by the Government.”
He said it was an approach that had been adopted over many years and had led to substantial variability in terms and conditions across Departments and Agencies.
“The scheme of the Public Service Act 1999 is that the Departmental Secretary or Agency Head is given the rights, duties and powers of an employer of staff,” he said.
My Lloyd’s comments have been posted on the APS Commission’s website.
