PM Transcripts

FOR MEDIA November 17 1985
The Heads of the Public Service of five countries will meet in
Canberra this week to discuss the reforms that are transforming
the public sector in Westminster type democracies.
Public Service chiefs from the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland
and New Zealand will meet with the Australian Public Service
Board to discuss modernisation of their Governments'
, administrations.
As the Public Service in parliamentary democracies has grown in
size and complexity it has become clear that radical reform is
needed. Measures to increase ministerial control and to improve
management practices and ensure effectiveness and equity in
service delivery are being considered or implemented everywhere.
The reforms currently being undertaken in Australia probably put
us ahead of the field at this stage.
The fact that Australia is hosting the Conference and that it has
attracted such high level delegates is an indication of the
interest being shown elsewhere in the world in changes being made
in Australia.
Two of the four delegations from overseas will be led by women.
They are Mrs Huguette Labelle, Chairman of the Canadian Public
Service Commission and Ms Anne Mueller, Second Permanent
Secretary of the British management and Personnel Office.
The other two delegations will be led by Mr Kevin Murphy,
Secretary to the Irish Department of the Public Service and Dr
Mervyn Probine, Chairman of the New Zealand State Services
Commission.
Among the issues to be discussed will be the responsiveness of
the Public Service to political control, the appointment and
training of senior public servants, affirmative action for women
and disadvantaged groups, changes in administrative law and
industrial democracy.
The conference will commence on Monday November 18 and conclude
on Thursday November 21.
While the Government has already done a lot to improve public
responsiveness and performance we are hoping this conference will
be a source of new ideas and new approaches.
It is very definitely a working conference aimed at practical
results.