Leader of the Opposition, Lia Finocchiaro, says the public service is in crisis with a myriad of
key senior roles left vacant for months on end.
“These vacancies are at the very top of the public service and it’s concerning the Gunner
Government is moving at snail’s pace to fill these positions. For example, since last year the
Department of Attorney-General has had an Acting CEO. Why is it taking so long for Attorney General, Selena Uibo, to announce her new CEO? Does no one want to work for the Minister,
or is she incapable of making a decision?
“Minister Uibo is clearly not up for the job. Her departments are in disarray, with serious
leadership voids at the top. Two of her departments have vacancies at the highest level, while
other senior positions have been left in limbo and further vacancies in key senior positions
have already been flagged.
“Just last week it was revealed Public Prosecutions has lost its top two lawyers, with the
Director of Public Prosecutions taking extended leave from 30 June, before stepping away
from the role later in the year. His Deputy is also calling it quits at the end of this month.
“This leaves a catastrophic void in an area that is overloaded with cases due to the Gunner
Government’s soft approach to crime. Is there a succession plan in the DPP to fill the void that
this double-departure leaves in an area that is under constant pressure?
“Meanwhile, Corrections is rudderless. The Commissioner has been on an unexplained
‘period of absence’ for most of the year and the Territory’s second largest prison has gone
without a permanent General Manager since August 2020. This has got to be a safety issue
for both staff and prisoners, and the Minister can no longer fob this off as a human resources
issue.
“An Assistant Police Commissioner role has also been vacant since March, when Michael Hebb
resigned following a reported inappropriate relationship with a senior colleague and
perceived conflicts of interest around the promotion of another police officer.
“These are critical senior public sector roles which need to be properly recruited and filled, as
a priority, to give leadership and structure to the hundreds of public servants who work in the agencies. For these high-level positions to be left vacant for months on end is absolutely
ridiculous,” said Ms Finocchiaro.
Shadow Attorney-General and Shadow Minister for Treaty, Steve Edgington, says Minister
Uibo is also the Minister responsible for the Treaty Commissioner who is yet to resign despite
accusations of verbal abuse and threatening physical harm towards an Indigenous woman.
“The Minister has sensationally failed to show leadership on this issue and has failed to ask
the Treaty Commissioner to step down. The Opposition has committed to moving a motion
in parliament in the next fortnight to remove him if he doesn’t resign.
“The Gunner Government doesn’t have a plan for the Territory and as a result, is struggling
to bring people with them. Even the highest echelons of the public service don’t want to work
in this rudderless regime,” said Mr Edgington.
END