❓ Mr Cowper questions the disparity in remuneration between senior firefighters and the CEO of the Fire and Emergency Services Authority. Mr Kobelke defends the government's pay increase policy and criticises the previous Liberal government's approach.
AnsweredQoN 379Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES AUTHORITY - OFFICER REMUNERATION
I have a supplementary question. Is it the position of the government that senior firefighters who are expected to risk their lives in pursuit of their employment should be paid a paltry $19.33 an hour, or just over $40 000 a year, while their CEO receives in excess of $200 000 a year? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
I have a supplementary question. Is it the position of the government that senior firefighters who are expected to risk their lives in pursuit of their employment should be paid a paltry $19.33 an hour, or just over $40 000 a year, while their CEO receives in excess of $200 000 a year? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
AnswerView source ↗
I am glad that the member has done a bit more work. His first assertion was simply factually wrong. Our firefighters do an invaluable job. They are people of the highest ability who dedicate themselves to providing protection to the community, and do that in a selfless way. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call the member for Murray, the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Vasse to order. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Again, the opposition is taking the stance that it will promise everything and deliver nothing. When the Liberals were in government, people had to sign a workplace agreement or trade off their conditions to get a pay increase. That is how they ran their wages policy. They made employees trade off conditions to get a pay increase. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order for the second time. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I am glad that the member has done a bit more work. His first assertion was simply factually wrong. Our firefighters do an invaluable job. They are people of the highest ability who dedicate themselves to providing protection to the community, and do that in a selfless way. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call the member for Murray, the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Vasse to order. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Again, the opposition is taking the stance that it will promise everything and deliver nothing. When the Liberals were in government, people had to sign a workplace agreement or trade off their conditions to get a pay increase. That is how they ran their wages policy. They made employees trade off conditions to get a pay increase. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order for the second time. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
I am glad that the member has done a bit more work. His first assertion was simply factually wrong. Our firefighters do an invaluable job. They are people of the highest ability who dedicate themselves to providing protection to the community, and do that in a selfless way. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call the member for Murray, the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Vasse to order. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Again, the opposition is taking the stance that it will promise everything and deliver nothing. When the Liberals were in government, people had to sign a workplace agreement or trade off their conditions to get a pay increase. That is how they ran their wages policy. They made employees trade off conditions to get a pay increase. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order for the second time. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call the member for Murray, the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Vasse to order. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Again, the opposition is taking the stance that it will promise everything and deliver nothing. When the Liberals were in government, people had to sign a workplace agreement or trade off their conditions to get a pay increase. That is how they ran their wages policy. They made employees trade off conditions to get a pay increase. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order for the second time. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call the member for Murray, the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Vasse to order. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Again, the opposition is taking the stance that it will promise everything and deliver nothing. When the Liberals were in government, people had to sign a workplace agreement or trade off their conditions to get a pay increase. That is how they ran their wages policy. They made employees trade off conditions to get a pay increase. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order for the second time. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Again, the opposition is taking the stance that it will promise everything and deliver nothing. When the Liberals were in government, people had to sign a workplace agreement or trade off their conditions to get a pay increase. That is how they ran their wages policy. They made employees trade off conditions to get a pay increase. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order for the second time. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order for the second time. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I am glad that the member has done a bit more work. His first assertion was simply factually wrong. Our firefighters do an invaluable job. They are people of the highest ability who dedicate themselves to providing protection to the community, and do that in a selfless way. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call the member for Murray, the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Vasse to order. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Again, the opposition is taking the stance that it will promise everything and deliver nothing. When the Liberals were in government, people had to sign a workplace agreement or trade off their conditions to get a pay increase. That is how they ran their wages policy. They made employees trade off conditions to get a pay increase. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order for the second time. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
I am glad that the member has done a bit more work. His first assertion was simply factually wrong. Our firefighters do an invaluable job. They are people of the highest ability who dedicate themselves to providing protection to the community, and do that in a selfless way. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call the member for Murray, the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Vasse to order. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Again, the opposition is taking the stance that it will promise everything and deliver nothing. When the Liberals were in government, people had to sign a workplace agreement or trade off their conditions to get a pay increase. That is how they ran their wages policy. They made employees trade off conditions to get a pay increase. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order for the second time. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call the member for Murray, the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Vasse to order. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Again, the opposition is taking the stance that it will promise everything and deliver nothing. When the Liberals were in government, people had to sign a workplace agreement or trade off their conditions to get a pay increase. That is how they ran their wages policy. They made employees trade off conditions to get a pay increase. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order for the second time. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! I call the member for Murray, the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Vasse to order. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Again, the opposition is taking the stance that it will promise everything and deliver nothing. When the Liberals were in government, people had to sign a workplace agreement or trade off their conditions to get a pay increase. That is how they ran their wages policy. They made employees trade off conditions to get a pay increase. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order for the second time. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Again, the opposition is taking the stance that it will promise everything and deliver nothing. When the Liberals were in government, people had to sign a workplace agreement or trade off their conditions to get a pay increase. That is how they ran their wages policy. They made employees trade off conditions to get a pay increase. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order for the second time. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order for the second time. Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The policy of this government since 2001 has been to provide real pay increases; that is, pay increases above the inflation rate, without requesting productivity gains or trading off conditions. That is a radical change by this government from when the Liberals were in power. When the Liberals were in power, people had to give up their benefits to get a pay increase. We do not do that. We give real pay increases, and through proper negotiation that will be achieved.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.