Unless you've been living under a rock in the Pilbara for the last few weeks, you would have seen, heard or read one of the Howard Government's new 'Know Where You Stand' advertisements, fronted by Barbara Bennett from the Workplace Authority.
Are you concerned at the use of a public servant in such a political marketing campaign?
Does this sort of advertising damage the independence and integrity of the public service?
Tell us what you think about the Government's ads.
26 comments:
Its obviously political advertising. Look at the context - the laws are deeply unpopular and the Gov't is doing everything it can to salvage them.
Trying to sell the Australian public a pup using our own tax dollars is bad enough - but using a so-called inedpendent public servant really takes the cake.
They've got more front than Myers, this mob.
This is blatent political campaigning dressed up as a 'public service announcement'.
They are hiding behind the skirts of the public service. Shameless, but hardly out of character.
Nothing this government does surprises me any more, which is not to say it doesn't anger me. Their politicisation of the Public Service to pander to their whims is symptomatic of their contempt for the Australian taxpayers. Roll on election day!
Oh, and someone should tell Ms Bennett that "law" has only one syllable.
Public Servants used to have a "duty of care" to explain the full story and to ensure that the public had a clear understanding of the negatives and positives of a situation. Noone ever talks about that old fashioned conept anymore.
Under the Howard Government public servants now have a duty to look after the Minister and to put the government policies to the public in a positive fashion. Under the Code of Conduct they are not allowed to repeat negative comments even at family gatherings - on pain of dismissal and dismissal has become ever more common.
Sorry ot be a heretic, but I don't have a problem with this ad campaign. After all the APS Values also states the APS 'is responsive to the Government in providing frank, honest, comprehensive, accurate and timely advice and in implementing the Government's policies and programs'. One could argue these ads do this.
What is the worst part of this whole fiasco is that even though Barbara has patently done the wrong thing, she has nothing to lose from this action. If she is dismissed over this breach of the APS code of conduct, all that will happen is her contract will be paid out and she will be able to retire with a very comfortable sum of money and never need to work again.
She wins either way - so it's a smart personal move at the cost of ethics / integrity. Looks like in this increasingly fiscal world we live in, money really is supreme.
This is a genuine question: Re Bennett’s selling Work “Choices”, why isn’t the APS Commissioner enforcing the APS Code of Conduct? Her appearance in that ad is clearly a breach of the Code.
Just ANOTHER example of the total politicisation of the Public Service. This government has repeatedly shown that it is after all power, and an independent Public Service is not something it wants. An independant PS gets in the way of its 1984 "new speak" and lie peddling!
Thanks.
Glenn
Do the governtment think that we, the workers, are so gullible and stupid? In the ads they say things like "you can have someone with you" or "you CAN disagree with whats in your contract" but what difference does that make? You could have the Queen with you when the new contract is given or if you disagree with the contract, all the employer has to say is "if you don’t like it there's the door" Roll on the next election!
I feel sorry for Trent Smith from DFAT who is fighting for his job, yet Ms Bennett has broken APS codes of conduct and has the backing of her Minister. Hardly seems apolitical to me.
Money would be better spent on improving quality of life for the average Australian, e.g. healthcare (access) improvements, expanded public dental care, provision of affordable housing for 1st time buyers/young people. But if the Government did that, they might have a real chance of getting re-elected .......
I saw a bus stop ad for workplace.gov.au this morning saying 'Know where you stand'.
I couldn’t help thinking 'Yeah, provided you've got a leg to stand on.' As it is, many workers are sitting ducks.
I believe that the ACTU and/or the opposition should be taking legal action to have these ads stopped and Ms Bennett reprimanded for breaching APS values and code of conduct. I believe that just starting such legal action would be very beneficial to the Public Service, the Australian public and democracy in Australia as it would highlight the issues raised in the article below. By taking this legal action it would bring free publicity to the need for keeping the public servant apolitical and stopping governments abusing their position of power. One wonders if this was a result of bulling that Ms Bennett has decided to cooperate.
I have never been as disgusted by the actions of any public servant as I am with Barbara Bennett from the Workplace Authority.
I am sorry to say that I use foul language at my TV whenever she appears.
She appears to be willing to do or say anything including peddling blatant lies to the public.
How long before she stands as a Liberal Party candidate just like the previous head of the Republican Movement, who destroyed any chance of Australia becoming a republic in the foreseeable future, and then jumped into the waiting arms of the monarchist Liberals.
I automaticly thought this was a political ad! As for the assertion that a Parent/gardian must sign an AWA for children U18 The adults signing consent need to Know what is and is not fair also no signature no job, hardly a choice
Bus and ambulance drivers display "Your Rights At Work" stickers all over buses and ambulances which clearly aren't their personal property. If you're going to clamp down on misuse of a position, how about fixing your own backyard first?
At the time of writing this, I have a matter in the hands of the Workplace Ombudsman. I think that the Workplace Inspector is doing a great job regarding investigation.
However, I hope that Ms Barbara Bennett's statement regarding prosecution is guaranteed to me in resolving my matter.
One would have to feel a little sympathy for Ms Bennett, you wouldn'y want to say no to your boss in todays workplace environment. If/When labour wins the election, I hope she doesn't get hung out to dry.
I don't feel sorry for Ms Bennett. She has failed her duty to follow the APS code of conduct. Good public servants don't do unethical or illegal things to please their masters.
Thanks for pointing out that there is a public servant in the workplace ads in your latest newsletter. I hadn’t realised this. I think that this is outrageous and I am pleased to see you highlighting this issue. Public servants should not be put in the position of having to promote government policy so blatantly.
Yes, the ads are all that earlier commenters have said - illegal, typical of the Libs, etc. etc. But, overwhelmingly, they are stupid, and anyone believing them would vote Coalition anyway. The most blatent is the one saying that under 18s must have a parent or guardian sign their AWA for them - hello, this is true for any legal document any under 18 must sign, and has been law for years. To try to make it part of Work Choices is disingenuous to say the least.
I am once more dismayed at what the Howard government gets away with. If you believe this is just a "public service" announcement I have some great swamp land to sell you....
IR new laws make me remember some unfare laws that there are in other countries where workers do not have any rights. Goverment publicity about the new IR is just a polical propaganda for next election, using simple retoric playing with language to create images about something that every one knows is not good for workers.
In our local Canberra Chronicle, a letter from a person who doesn't believe in Workchoices ended with;
"Workchoices - The longest suicide letter ever written by a Government."
A truer word etc.
Barbara obviously knows the Liberals will win the election or she is a complete lunatic. Either way she must have lost touch with reality as evidenced by the nonsense she is peddling in these ads.The idea that having a parent sign your AWA somehow protects you doesn't stand up to scrunity. Look at the kids whose awas provide they'll make good employer losses when diners / drivers abscond without paying for meals / petrol. Yes mum or dad signed the awa. The alternative was no job.
It's very much a case of APS employee's being told 'do what we say' but of APS most definitely NOT doing what they are meant to do.
The APS values seem to have become a one way street - APS employees are expected to deliver to the Australian public, but in exchange for our unbiased ethical service delivery, what do we get?
I would not be able to sleep if I were Ms Bennett but that is her issue. My issue is that I'm expected to deliver exemplary service to the Australian public, (and is why I joined APS) however I've been sadly misled.
And not only misled, but inadequately trained. Repeated requests for adequate training have been at best ignored by and at worst been scoffed at by management. I am the sole fulltime deliverer of Family Assistance Office services in my Medicare Australia branch. My location is the fastest growing population on the eastern seaboard on Australia.
I have a peer who who has refused to undertake this training, and she is at same salary level as I. So within my branch we have a situation where one person was permitted to refuse to take on FAO training; and at the same time another person at same APS level is required to take on this additional workload for no additional pay or indeed internal recogition.
How much of a goose do I feel one year on?? Ahh let me count the ways, and remember never, EVER, trust the bastards!!
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