9 October 2010

Secret plants

| johnboy
Join the conversation
20

The SMH is having a go at AusAID’s need for secret cleared plant waterers.

According to an AusAID advertisement in The Canberra Times calling for tenders: ”The goal of the activity is the provision of high-quality indoor plants and supporting services to add to the decor and working environment of AusAID and other Commonwealth Government offices located in the ACT.

”The contractor’s personnel will be expected to hold a Secret Security clearance.”

Necessary? Or just ego boosting for someone?

Join the conversation

20
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

I would have thought the efficiency dividend would take care of the plants

Maxwell Smart would be so proud…………….!!!

Samuel Gordon-Stewart10:01 am 10 Oct 10

The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if the secret clearance could be needed because the plants have a value-added listening device in them so that ASIO, ASIS, etc can keep track of which foreign terrorist organisations are receiving money from AusAID?

Having worked in an environment which required a security clearance, I understand the need for ancillary staff to be cleared, but I can’t help but wonder…now, time to patch that hole in the tin foil on the window.

Woody Mann-Caruso10:01 am 10 Oct 10

“Hey, what are you looking at?”
“Oh, you know, just leafing through these files on your desk, looking at stuff on your monitor over your shoulder.”
“But you’re the cleaner!”
“It’s totally OK. I’m cleared for Secret.”
“My bad. Carry on.”

They have to make sure the plants don’t have any bugs

Just means they can charge a lot more for the service to meet the requirement – they they will probably tell the workers they have to pay for their own clearance and the company will pocket the difference.

Funky Claude12:17 am 10 Oct 10

They can’t be anywhere near as bad as my neighbour. It takes 15 years of solid friendship to get anywhere close to his plants.

A Noisy Noise Annoys An Oyster said :

Just abolish AusAid and all foreign aid altogether. Rudd has just given $250million to Africa to fight AIDS at the same time Yass hospital can’t afford to employ a doctor . . .

I this the same bloke that was going to fix our hospital system??

OpenYourMind10:17 pm 09 Oct 10

and don’t forget that if the plant waterer doesn’t have an appropriate clearance, then some poor bunny is going to have to escort the plant waterer around. A thankless job for the escort and a waste of resources.

georgesgenitals9:52 pm 09 Oct 10

This is bog standard – nothing to see here.

creative_canberran6:18 pm 09 Oct 10

It’s typical and absolutely justified. It has nothing to do with the job but the environment and the materials they may come across.
Many local companies such as offset printers have people who are Top Secret + Positive Vetted… yes, a level above top secret because they print reports for Defence.

Makes perfect sense. They want someone who can tend to plants sitting within an area which requires secret clearance. As it is illegal for someone to be in such an area without said clearance (without being escorted) it is of no surprise.

Me no fry said :

Sounds like a giant wank to me – but perfectly in keeping with the times. Soon you’ll need a Top Secret clearance just to clean the dunnies in a government office.

If the dunnies in a top secret area need to be cleaned, then yes, you already will need top secret clearance to be cleaning those dunnies.

A Noisy Noise Annoys An Oyster5:54 pm 09 Oct 10

Just abolish AusAid and all foreign aid altogether. Rudd has just given $250million to Africa to fight AIDS at the same time Yass hospital can’t afford to employ a doctor . . .

Captain RAAF5:50 pm 09 Oct 10

The cleaner at my work holds a SECRET clearance yet looks as dodgy as a football bat.

Leave a document lying around at DFAT and you get a warning. Do it again and you’re out. Pity we’re not in the old admin building where we had a walk-in safe. Ahhh the memories of locking ***** in there.

part of holding secret security rating means they have signed agreements to hold any secrets they ‘happen’ across. We’ve all heard stories about documents being left lying around…

My Mother-in-Law held Top-Secret clearance in her first Public Service job, in Defence, shredding documents – and that was 40+ years ago… nothing new…

All DFAT (which ausaid is a part of) staff have top secret clearance. Remember too that, as most cleaning staff are from a non English speaking background, that line of work would be ideal for foreign intelligence services to slip in a few agents.

Groundjester2:18 pm 09 Oct 10

It sounds like they will be accessing a secure area. All support staff such as cleaners and plant waterers who enter such areas have to hold a secret clearance.

Same as all the agencies that require clearance.

Sounds like a giant wank to me – but perfectly in keeping with the times. Soon you’ll need a Top Secret clearance just to clean the dunnies in a government office.

I knew the world had gone slightly mad when the government department in which I worked explained how the American Patriot Act would potentially affect the way we did our job.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.