Premier Steven Marshall signals his plan for SA public service, based on New Zealand government

PREMIER Steven Marshall says there is no point blaming Labor for the state’s problems as he signals new public service performance measures centred on economic growth.

Premier Steven Marshall speaks at the 5th South Australian Space Forum at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Picture: AAP / Kelly Barnes

THERE is no point blaming Labor for South Australia’s problems, Premier Steven Marshall has declared, as he signals new public service performance measures centred on economic growth.

In an interview with The Advertiser, Mr Marshall said outcome targets would be set for the public sector that reflected successful measures imposed by New Zealand centre-right governments from 2008 to 2017.

Mr Marshall said the National Party regimes run by John Key and Bill English had, like his new government, inherited high unemployment, stalling exports, low confidence and an exodus of young people and capital.

“We’ll definitely, unequivocally, be pursuing a new set of performance criteria for the public service based around community expectations,” Mr Marshall said.

“We want to have improved outcomes for the people of South Australia and we’ll be measuring that.”

Mr Marshall, who has had Wayne Eagleson, chief of staff to two former NZ prime ministers, advising on transition to government, said that country’s setting of key public service performance indicators would guide the SA criteria.

“The key measure for us, of course, is going to be economic growth. Economic growth stalled after 16 years of Labor, to a dangerous level,” Mr Marshall said.

Declaring his government wanted to “exhibit humility, accountability and delivery” as three key themes, Mr Marshall accused the previous Labor government of lacking accountability and wanting to blame others for the state’s problems that the Liberals had now inherited.

“But there’s no point in blaming the previous government. We’ve been entrusted by the people of SA to get on and solve those problems and turn them into opportunities,” he said.

“What I’ve said to my team is they must focus their teams on delivering outcomes, improved services.”

Arguing the Key/English governments had been some of the most effective Western democracies of recent times, Mr Marshall said he intended to follow their example of respecting the public service with careful planning, eschewing both massive staff increases and a slash-and-burn approach. “Like me, John Key came from private sector, so he realised that the biggest asset in any organisation was in fact the people that work there,” Mr Marshall said.

“It’s the same for the public service. We’ve got to realise, in government, the best asset we’ve got in the state are the people that work in the public service and we’ve got to motivate them to be part of that change that we need for our entire state.”

Mr Marshall expected to announce the new head of his Premier and Cabinet department – an external appointment – in the next month.