Conversations at Government House: Sharyn O'Neill

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Public Sector Commissioner and State Recovery Controller Sharyn O’Neill recently spoke with WA Governor, Hon Kim Beazley AC about the State’s recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Public Sector Commissioner Sharyn O'Neill

Public Sector Commissioner and State Recovery Controller Sharyn O’Neill recently sat down with WA Governor, Hon Kim Beazley AC to take part in Conversations at Government House, a series of discussions on topics of community importance.

The Commissioner spoke about her longstanding career in the public sector, her role as State Recovery Controller dealing with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and thoughts around Western Australia’s recovery and pathway forward.

Ms O’Neill discussed the collaborative and innovative contributions from the public and private sectors on the health, economic and social impacts of the pandemic, both during a recent meeting of the State Recovery Advisory Group and through the Commission’s online ideas platform, iThink.

“People were talking to each other about the different impacts, hearing from each other and were looking for ideas to go into the future, in a way that, I think, was remarkable.

“I’ve been so pleased with the outcomes. It was a great opportunity, but what we learned was the level of collaboration and innovation, and people’s willingness to join together and work together,” Ms O’Neill said.

With a focus on rebooting the State’s economy and regrouping the community, Ms O’Neill praised the resilience and strength of the WA community.

“It’s been tough to hear the stories of individuals. Of families. Of businesses.

“I pay respects to the families who have lost people through the pandemic. It’s tough. But we’re tough people [in WA], and I’m hopeful for the future.”

Watch the full conversation at the Government House website.