Ministers pop by departments to thank public servants

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With the silly season in full swing, a couple of federal politicians have made the rounds of their departments, thanking public servants for the work they’ve done this year.

Attorney-general Mark Dreyfus congratulated the Attorney’s General Department for their work during the year, including their work on the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

The past six months have included a Budget, a High Court appointment, major reform like the National Anti-Corruption Commission and plenty more. None of this could happen without the tireless work of the public servants at @agdgovau – today I stopped by to say thank you. pic.twitter.com/Iehp8jBHOj

— Mark Dreyfus (@MarkDreyfusKCMP) December 2, 2022

On the work the Department has done on the NACC, An Attorney-General’s Department spokesperson told The Mandarin the NACC Taskforce was established soon after the election.

“Since then, the Taskforce provided support to the Attorney-General on the development and drafting of the NACC legislation, including by facilitating extensive consultation with members of parliament, key legal and integrity experts and Commonwealth agencies,” the spokesperson said.

A more recent responsibility of the taskforce was working with the joint select committee, including implementing the recommendations of that committee.

“The Taskforce is continuing to work closely with the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI), which will be subsumed into the Commission once established, to prepare for the Commission to commence operations in mid-2023,” the spokesperson added.

Legislation establishing the NACC passed parliament earlier this month.

Meanwhile, over at the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, minister Tony Burke likewise stopped by to thank those public servants for the work on the Secure Jobs Better Pay Bill.

“This is a mammoth achievement for the department, and we’d like to acknowledge and thank our #TeamDEWR staff who contributed in many different ways to getting this Bill passed. Your dedication and passion is so appreciated!” DEWR posted on LinkedIn.

The industrial relations legislation passed the parliament last Friday, establishing multi-employer bargaining.

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NACC legislation passes lower house, in the senate’s court now