Code of
Conduct
The Public Good and the Public Interest
Introduction
The ethics principles in the Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service include
promoting the ‘public good’ (Principle 2), and also refer to the ‘public interest’. This
information sheet clarifies these terms.
The Public Good
Promoting the ‘public good’ is about achieving outcomes to benefit the Queensland
community as a whole. The elected government of the day sets the strategic direction for
achieving outcomes for the community. The Queensland government’s strategic priorities
are to build a Strong, Green, Smart, Healthy and Fair Queensland.
The Public Interest
The ‘public interest’ can be the interests of all the community, or the interests of particular
groups in the community, such as special interest community groups, neighbourhood groups,
business communities etc. Groups often have different interests, relating to factors like
location, culture, socioeconomic status and the reasons that the groups exist. Local and
global events and the media can also influence what the public is interested in.
How the Public Service meets the ‘Public Interest’
Although different parts of the community can have different interests, the community as a
whole is interested in the public service operating with integrity and accountability and
providing efficient and effective services to the community. This is the ‘public interest’ that
the public service seeks to meet.
The Public Good and the Public Interest – some examples
The priority of helping Queenslanders to be healthy is in the public good. To achieve this, the
public service delivers a range of programs and initiatives, some of which are targeted at
specific groups, such as the Quit Smoking campaigns.
While different parts of the community will be more interested in this campaign than others,
there will be public interest in how initiatives like Quit Smoking are delivered. That is, the
public is interested in whether the services are being delivered appropriately and effectively,
whether the public resources used can be properly accounted for, and whether the program
does contribute to the strategic priority so that the effect of smoking on Queenslanders’
health is reduced.
………….
The priority of having a strong Queensland economy is in the public good. The response of
the government and the public service to natural disasters, such as floods and cyclones,
includes activities to ensure the Queensland economy is as little affected as possible and
recovers as quickly as possible.
While not all Queenslanders and businesses are directly affected by natural disasters, all
Queenslanders are interested in how the recovery from disasters is managed. That is, the
public is interested in whether the recovery activities are delivered appropriately and
effectively, whether the public resources used can be properly accounted for, and whether
the recovery efforts do contribute to the priority of having a strong Queensland economy.
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www.ethics.qld.gov.au