ACT government staff will be required to disclose gifts and hospitality they receive as part of their work, as Chief Minister Katy Gallagher moves to strengthen public declaration requirements.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Staff will be required to add all official and personal gifts or entertainment received as part of their work to public disclosure logs published online within 30 days, regardless of value.
The government's new gifts policy will replace 2008 guidelines that have imposed similar rules on cabinet ministers alone. Separate policies exist for ACT public servants.
A ban on gifts and cash being received from people or organisations involved in government tender process or official consideration of any kind is included in the new policy.
Ms Gallagher and members of the government regularly receive gifts from community groups, institutions, foreign dignitaries and individuals – but they are almost never kept by the Chief Minister herself.
Her office maintains a gifts cupboard and displays some items in the ACT Assembly, while others are donated to charities, community groups and libraries.
The rules allow the Chief Minister and her cabinet colleagues to keep gifts with a value of less than $200, while staff members can keep those valued at $50 or less.
Where the recipient wishes to keep a gift valued at above the thresholds, they must seek approval from the Chief Minister or her chief of staff and purchase the item at its estimated commercial cost.
Any proceeds from the purchase of gifts is transfered to territory consolidated revenue.
Ms Gallagher requires the approval of cabinet if she chooses to purchase items given to her as Chief Minister.
Tickets to sporting matches and other events given to the Chief Minister in an official capacity are declared on the online register and used. Ministers are also required to list attendance at events or hospitality outside their official duties.
Transferable tickets to events including sporting fixtures or live performances should be given to charitable organisations where possible.
The policy includes provisions for a report to be made to the Australian Federal Police where a minister or staff member believes a gift is being offered as a bribe, and advises recipients on how not to offend or insult the giver of diplomatic gifts or hospitality.
"Ephemeral gifts" such as alcohol, confectionery or flowers are not considered as official, and are treated the same as "low value items" including pens, lapel pins and paraphernalia.
"Ministers must not use their position or information gained in the performance of their duties to gain a direct or indirect advantage that would not be available to the general public for themselves, their families or acquaintances," the policy states.
A spokesman for Ms Gallagher said her office used an annual $50,000 budget for hospitality and official gifts.
"Gifts are given in a range of official occasions, a recent example being the ACT government delegation to China as part of the Prime Minister’s Australia in China Week," he said.
"The gifts are traditionally local art or objects which are produced [in the ACT] and promote local talent."
The now superseded 2008 policy included advice for gift selection, including cultural and religious sensitivities that staff should consider.
It advised officials on how to avoid cultural faux pas such as giving pork or alcohol to Muslims, giving leather products to Hindus or wrapping gifts for Chinese recipients in white, black or blue wrapping paper.