Tas Department of Premier and Cabinet

Tasmanian will close its borders, Queensland is granting its chief health officer stronger powers, and Victorian is boosting its health system with $437 million, all in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

On Tuesday Premier Peter Gutwein said the package would support the public sector and provide “targeted assistance” to businesses and the workforce to help retain jobs.

The state government on Monday announced it would establish three new specialist Aboriginal positions within the Parks and Wildlife Service to “strengthen our understanding of and practice in land management and cultural burning methods, and the impact of fire on Aboriginal heritage”.

A joint initiative between federal and state public servants to manage threats to the Great Barrier Reef has won the Gold Award in the 2019 Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Sector Management, presented this evening at Parliament House. The joint field management program run by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and […]

Tasmania’s public service is under review by Dr Ian Watt, a former secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet who also led the Defence, Finance, and Communications departments during his career in the federal government. Premier Will Hodgman has released draft terms of reference for public comment during November, and expects a final report by the end of December, 2020.

The Tasmanian government has invited feedback on its first digital transformation strategy. The strategy draft package targets three priority areas: community, economy and government. It will be supported by several key initiatives and will be accompanied by a new cloud policy that reflects global advancements in cloud computing best-practice. Consultation is open until 20 November.

When it comes to reversing male dominance in public sector leadership roles, governments are choosing to start outside their own departments. Tasmania is the latest to see quick wins on public sector boards.

Learning about how unconscious bias can affect recruitment and promotion decisions was “both confronting and rewarding” for Greg Johannes, the head of the Tasmanian State Service. In an extremely rare occurence, all secretaries and deputy secretaries took the same course.

Half a cheesecake and a $400 Samsung tablet (for educational purposes) — a new public sector gift register lets Tasmanians see the free stuff their government employees are offered. The state Integrity Commission still believes thanks should be more than enough.

Tasmania’s eight department heads have jointly committed to gender parity in senior roles. Getting to 40% women at the top level by 2020 is their first target as the State Service tackles the merit paradox.

Tasmanian premier Will Hodgman endorsed the idea that government should “lead by example” as an employer, putting 10 days of family violence leave on the table ahead of pay negotiations with public sector unions.

A new deputy secretary at a “blokey” primary industries department has a plan to give women a fair go. He tells The Mandarin he won’t sugarcoat an imperfect situation, but the local tabloid missed the point entirely.

The state’s most senior public servant outlines plan for gender parity in the executive ranks by the end of the decade. Lateral recruitment will be easier and roles will be more flexible.

A personal commitment on gender equality from Tasmania’s top public servant has proven to be the state service’s hottest topic of 2015. Will walking away from men-only panels bring change?