The Hon Barry O’Farrell MP

Premier of NSW Minister for Western Sydney

MEDIA RELEASE Friday 11 November 2011

EXPERIENCED ADVISORY BOARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

A highly-qualified and diverse Public Service Commission Advisory Board has been assembled to help drive reform and strengthen professionalism and integrity in the NSW public sector.

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell said the board members brought a wealth of private, public and not-for-profit experience to their roles.

“The appointment of the Advisory Board is the final step in the establishment of the Public Service Commissioner and an important one in giving NSW the most innovative and professional public service in ,” Mr O’Farrell said.

“The establishment of the Public Service Commissioner was an election commitment of the NSW Liberals & Nationals to help restore trust and confidence in the NSW public sector.”

The Advisory Board is:

 Professor Peter Shergold AC (Chair)  Paul McClintock AO  Martin Laverty  Maree O’Halloran AM  Katie Page  Chris Eccles (Director General, Department of Premier & Cabinet)  Graeme Head (Public Service Commissioner)

“Each member has proven themselves to be a leader in their field,” Mr O’Farrell said.

“The Board members are people who together have expertise in human resources management, probity and accountability, strategic planning, budget and performance management and service delivery in the public, private, tertiary and not-for-profit sectors.

“By having the Board work closely with the Public Service Commissioner, Graeme Head, I am confident we will deliver a public service which puts the citizen at the heart of service design and delivers the most effective outcomes.

“We want to create a culture where public servants have the confidence to give frank advice and serve governments of all persuasions with equal commitment.

“The new Commission will ensure public service positions are filled on the basis of merit and qualifications – not patronage or favouritism.

“We are determined to get rid of the politicisation and scapegoat mentality which has been a feature of the NSW public service over the last decade.”

ENDS

Advisory Board biographies (external members):

Martin Laverty is the CEO of Catholic Health Australia. He is Chair of the NSW Heart Foundation, and a member of the National Heart Foundation Board. He is Chair of Sunshine, a large not-for profit NSW Disability organisation, and is a member of Canteen’s Adolescent Youth Cancer Fund. He is a former non-executive director of the NSW Muscular Dystrophy Association, and former Chair of the disability service provider Challenge Southern Highlands. His first book, Determining the future: A fair go and better health for all, was published in 2011.

Paul McClintock AO is Chairman of Medibank Private Limited, Thales Australia, the COAG Reform Council and the Institute of Virology. He is also a Director of Perpetual Limited. From July 2000 to March 2003 he served as Secretary to Cabinet and Head of the Cabinet Policy Unit in the Australian Government, reporting directly to the Prime Minister as Chairman of Cabinet with responsibility for supervising Cabinet processes.

Maree O’Halloran AM is Director (CEO) of the Welfare Rights Centre. She was previously President of the NSW Teachers Federation. She serves on the Boards of the Teachers Credit Union and the Health and Community Services Industry Superannuation Fund (HESTA). Ms O’Halloran was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2011 Australia Day Honours list in recognition of her service to industrial relations and the education sectors.

Katie Page is the Managing Director of Harvey Norman. She is also on the Board of Pertama in Singapore. She became the first woman to sit on a sporting board in Australia when she became a Director of the NRL. She has recently joined the board of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Sydney and is Chairperson of the Australian National Retail Association (ANRA).

Peter Shergold AC is Chancellor of the University of Western Sydney and Macquarie Group Foundation Professor at the Centre for Social Impact. For two decades he was a senior public servant in the Australian Public Service, serving from 2003-2008 as Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. He is a Director on the Boards AMP and Corrs Chambers Westgarth and, in the NFP sector, of the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, the Sydney Writers’ Festival and the National Centre for Vocational Education Research.