Public Sector Leadership Council at Government House

The final meeting of the Public Sector Leadership Council for 2020 was held today at Government House. Following the meeting the Governor and Ms Annus hosted a dinner to acknowledge the heads of the public sector for their role in the State’s COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts.

The Public Sector Leadership Council is a working group of the heads of 19 public sector agencies and the WA Police Force. Chaired by the Public Sector Commissioner/State Recovery Controller, Ms Sharyn O’Neill,  it provides an effective mechanism for sharing information to inform decisions and communicating consistent messages.

The Public Sector Leadership Council has played a key role in recovery planning and development of the WA Recovery Plan.

Representatives in attendance:

• Ms Michelle Andrews – Director General, Department of Communities
• Mr Michael Barnes PSM – Under Treasurer, Department of Treasury
• Ms Rebecca Brown – Acting Director General, Department of Premier and Cabinet
• Ms Jodi Cant – Director General, Department of Finance
• Mr Chris Dawson APM – Commissioner of Police, WA Police and State Emergency Coordinator
• Ms Anne Driscoll – Director General, Department of Training and Workforce Development
• Mr Darren Klemm AFSM – Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner, Department of Fire and Emergency Services
• Ms Jennifer McGrath – Mental Health Commissioner, Mental Health Commission
• Ms Sharyn O’Neill – Public Sector Commissioner, Public Sector Commission
• Mr Duncan Ord OAM – Director General, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries
• Ms Lisa Rodgers – Director General, Department of Education
• Mr Mike Rowe – Director General, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
• Dr David Russel-Weisz – Director General, Department of Health
• Mr Richard Sellers – Acting Director General, Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation
• Mr David Smith – Director General, Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety
• Mr Mark Webb PSM – Director General, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
• Mr Peter Woronzow – Acting Director General, Department of Transport

“As I welcome you all to Government House, I am reminded of remarks I delivered at the Public Sector Leadership Council dinner I hosted last year. I spoke of the importance of collaboration, highlighting that ‘the biggest policy challenges and the biggest cultural challenges cannot be solved by a single agency, they require a collected, concerted and sustained effort across portfolio boundaries.’

I also noted how crucial it is for ‘leaders across the public sector to regularly get together to talk about these intractable policy challenges, and talk about the collective stewardship of the sector.’

How extraordinary that close to a year later, not only have we come together once again but we do so in the wake of a global pandemic which has required significant collaboration and strong communication across sectors throughout Western Australia.

I applaud all in the Public Sector Leadership Council for serving as an effective mechanism for sharing information to inform decisions and communicate consistent messages throughout the public sector amid these challenging times. These lines of communication were also critical in initiating the State’s recovery process.

The Western Australian Public Sector Leadership Council, public sector and government sector more broadly has been incredibly resilient and adaptable amidst challenges arising from coronavirus pandemic.

As we look forward, we should embrace the opportunity to maintain the positive changes made in response to the pandemic and enhance the effectiveness of the way we work.”

The Governor

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