Online Article-Public sector chief walks away
The Mercury online | 25 March 2024.
Controversial public sector chief walks away from $545k per year job
Tassie’s top public servant quits her $545k job after more than four decades working in the public sector. Here’s why.
The head of the state’s public service has resigned.
Jenny Gale was a public servant in Tasmania for 45 years, rising from the role of teacher to become the Secretary of the Department of Education and the head of the Tasmanian State Service.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced Ms Gale’s resignation from the $545,000 a year position late Monday afternoon.
“Ms Gale was awarded the Public Service Medal for her outstanding public service during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and I thank her for her leadership throughout this period,” he said.
“I commend Ms Gale for her significant contribution to the Tasmanian Public Service and the Tasmanian community more widely.
“Ms Gale can be enormously proud of her commitment to the Tasmanian community and her achievements.
“I wish her well as she enters her retirement and a new phase of her life. A new Secretary will be appointed in the near future.”
Ms Gale had recently returned to work after a lengthy period of sick leave.
She was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet and Head of the State Service in November 2017, although her term was marked by a number of controversies, notably about transparency.
Ms Gale was recently criticised by Labor and the Greens over a list of 22 public sector workers who faced potential adverse findings from the Commission of Inquiry.
She denied receiving a list of those who had received section 18 notices but non-government MPs accused Ms Gale of being been sparing with the truth.
She denied any wrongdoing and was due to appear before a parliamentary committee that was dissolved when the election was called.
Ms Gale appeared before the Commission of Inquiry, initially explaining the government also had other priorities on top of child safety and “we can’t do everything at once”.
In her second appearance, Ms Gale apologised to child sexual abuse victim-survivors.
And she was in hot water during last year’s hacking crisis after trying to shut down public discussion of a Russian breach of Department of Education data.
In an e-mail to MPs, Ms Gale said “media coverage of this event is detrimental to Tasmania’s interests. I would appreciate your co-operation by heeding the same advice and not doing any further media.”
She later said she was doing what she thought was best in a developing crisis.
Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb MLC has called for Ms Gale’s replacement to be recruited from interstate and appointed by agreement of all parliamentary party leaders to ensure a competent and professional selection.
“The new Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet cannot be a job for the boys, or a party lackey,” she said.
“A power-sharing parliament must have confidence in those providing advice to government, and also driving cultural transformation in the public service, and this will be best delivered through an interstate recruitment.
“The new Secretary will be responsible for significant unfinished business including the Commission of Inquiry recommendations, and the public sector Watt Review implementation. “A starting point in ensuring confidence in this role is avoiding any suggestion of local nepotism, and locking in the endorsement of all parliamentary leaders.”
