❓ A parliamentary question regarding a 2.5% pay offer to school support workers, contrasting it with pay increases for teachers and police, and questioning the Minister's sacrifices. The Minister defends the government's wages policy and criticizes the opposition's inaction.
AnsweredQoN 761Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOL SUPPORT WORKERS — PAY OFFER
I refer to the minister’s 2.5 per cent pay offer—around 44c an hour—to school support workers. I refer also to the minister’s statements at a meeting with school support officers that they should be “ grateful for 2.5 per cent”, and “times are tough”, and “I have to make sacrifices, too”. (1) Why should these school support staff be grateful for a 2.5 per cent pay offer when teachers received 20 per cent and the police received eight per cent over two years, during a time when the minister was fully aware of the effects of the global financial crisis? (2) Can the minister enlighten the house on the sacrifices that he has made, when he continues to claim a substantial country member’s allowance? (3) Will the minister do anything to assist these school support workers, who are struggling with increased electricity, gas and water bills and earn only around $35 000 a year? [Interruption from the gallery.] Mr T.R. BUSWELL
I refer to the minister’s 2.5 per cent pay offer—around 44c an hour—to school support workers. I refer also to the minister’s statements at a meeting with school support officers that they should be “ grateful for 2.5 per cent”, and “times are tough”, and “I have to make sacrifices, too”. (1) Why should these school support staff be grateful for a 2.5 per cent pay offer when teachers received 20 per cent and the police received eight per cent over two years, during a time when the minister was fully aware of the effects of the global financial crisis? (2) Can the minister enlighten the house on the sacrifices that he has made, when he continues to claim a substantial country member’s allowance? (3) Will the minister do anything to assist these school support workers, who are struggling with increased electricity, gas and water bills and earn only around $35 000 a year? [Interruption from the gallery.] Mr T.R. BUSWELL
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) I will deal with that. The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
(1) Why should these school support staff be grateful for a 2.5 per cent pay offer when teachers received 20 per cent and the police received eight per cent over two years, during a time when the minister was fully aware of the effects of the global financial crisis? (2) Can the minister enlighten the house on the sacrifices that he has made, when he continues to claim a substantial country member’s allowance? (3) Will the minister do anything to assist these school support workers, who are struggling with increased electricity, gas and water bills and earn only around $35 000 a year? [Interruption from the gallery.] Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(3) I will deal with that. The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
(2) Can the minister enlighten the house on the sacrifices that he has made, when he continues to claim a substantial country member’s allowance? (3) Will the minister do anything to assist these school support workers, who are struggling with increased electricity, gas and water bills and earn only around $35 000 a year? [Interruption from the gallery.] Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(3) I will deal with that. The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
(3) Will the minister do anything to assist these school support workers, who are struggling with increased electricity, gas and water bills and earn only around $35 000 a year? [Interruption from the gallery.] Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(3) I will deal with that. The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
[Interruption from the gallery.] Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(3) I will deal with that. The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(3) I will deal with that. The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
(1)-(3) I will deal with that. The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
(1) Why should these school support staff be grateful for a 2.5 per cent pay offer when teachers received 20 per cent and the police received eight per cent over two years, during a time when the minister was fully aware of the effects of the global financial crisis? (2) Can the minister enlighten the house on the sacrifices that he has made, when he continues to claim a substantial country member’s allowance? (3) Will the minister do anything to assist these school support workers, who are struggling with increased electricity, gas and water bills and earn only around $35 000 a year? [Interruption from the gallery.] Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(3) I will deal with that. The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
(2) Can the minister enlighten the house on the sacrifices that he has made, when he continues to claim a substantial country member’s allowance? (3) Will the minister do anything to assist these school support workers, who are struggling with increased electricity, gas and water bills and earn only around $35 000 a year? [Interruption from the gallery.] Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(3) I will deal with that. The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
(3) Will the minister do anything to assist these school support workers, who are struggling with increased electricity, gas and water bills and earn only around $35 000 a year? [Interruption from the gallery.] Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(3) I will deal with that. The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
[Interruption from the gallery.] Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(3) I will deal with that. The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: (1)-(3) I will deal with that. The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
(1)-(3) I will deal with that. The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
The SPEAKER : Order! Before you do so, Minister for Commerce, people are always welcome in this gallery. I encourage the people of Western Australia to be in the gallery. Unfortunately, you do not have an opportunity to participate on the floor of this Parliament. Unfortunately, you also do not have the ability to make any comment from where you are. I understand your sentiment, but I would ask you to remain silent for the remainder of this question time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, this is a sensitive issue. I did meet with the miscellaneous workers union. Strangely enough, my recollection of what was said at that meeting is somewhat different from its recollection. Notwithstanding that, it is an important issue, so I am not going to comment on the specific suggestions that were made, but I will make a couple of observations on the pay issue. The member is right. The government adopted from the start of this financial year a wages policy. The wages policy says that if we are negotiating a three-year enterprise bargaining agreement or a two-year EBA, the rate we will offer will, at the minimum, be the consumer price index. There is an upside. People will have the capacity to negotiate for a higher wage if they can show productivity gains. The upside is capped by the consumer price index. What that means in this case, for example, is that over three years, there will be an eight per cent minimum, negotiated up to a nine per cent maximum. Now, we do not make that offer to reflect negatively on the value to our education system or our health system of the people to whom that offer has been made. That is an offer within a framework that will be made on a rolling basis as EBAs expire. It was a policy adopted by the government to apply from 1 July. I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
I am aware that members of the union have visited the offices of a number of my colleagues, sometimes in large numbers, and sometimes in quite a rowdy way. But that is okay. My colleagues have come to me. They have come to me dutifully and asked me to explain to them why we have adopted this policy. I think that is fair. They have listened to their constituents, and they have come to me. I am sure they would like me to change the government wages policy. I am not in a position to do that, and the government is not in a position to do that. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I want to compare that with some of the words of members opposite. The member for Collie-Preston was approached by some union members on Friday, 7 August. An article in the Collie Mail of Thursday, 13 August, states that the member for Collie-Preston, Mr Murray, promised those attending that he would raise the issue in Parliament. Since then, there has been almost five full weeks of Parliament. Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr M. McGowan : Is that your counterattack? Is that it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just warming up. Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr M. McGowan : Is that the best you can do? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : No. I am just drawing a point of difference. There have been five full weeks of Parliament. There have been 75 questions and 20 grievances. The member for Collie-Preston did not get to his feet once and raise this issue! Every one of my backbenchers whom these people visited — Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr M.P. Murray injected. The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
The SPEAKER : Order! Member for Collie-Preston, I realise that the Minister for Commerce has mentioned you in this place, and I am not surprised that you would interject, and I am not going to stop you from interjecting in that sense, but I would ask you to temper what you say in response. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I was merely contrasting the efforts of my colleagues when faced with an awkward situation with the hollow, empty promises of some members opposite, notwithstanding the space between their ears. What I say to members opposite is that times are tough. We are in a very difficult economic climate. I refer them, as I refer all members, to the Australian Fair Pay Commission. This year it made a finding on the minimum wage case, which is the wage that applies to the lowest of the low-paid workers in Australia. Do members know how much the commission increased the wage by this year? It was zero. What did the commission say about not increasing the wage? I am not endorsing this, because we made a submission asking the commission to increase the wage by the consumer price index. The commission acknowledged that it is a difficult time economically. It went on to acknowledge — The Commission recognises that consumer prices continue to increase What does our wages policy do? It is designed to protect the purchasing power of people. My view is that it is a fair response to the circumstances that the government finds itself in. Let us compare this with some other jurisdictions so that we can put this into context, and then I will sit down. We talk about this at the Treasurers’ meetings, because it is very significant for state governments trying to balance their books in difficult times. In New South Wales the general wage increase is limited to 2.5 per cent unless demonstrated efficiency gains can be shown. In South Australia there is a general wages cap of 2.5 per cent. In Victoria there is an annualised cap of 2.5 per cent, which includes conditions; people can go above 2.5 per cent only by producing real, bankable productivity cost offsets. This is not just a Western Australian government initiative but is happening right across Australia. I know there are 300 000 good reasons that the Leader of the Opposition had to ask that question, because that is how many dollars the miscellaneous workers’ union donated to the Labor Party in the past two years. That is not the issue here. I know the union sponsors a couple of Labor members in this house every time around. Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr F.M. Logan : This is your cynical response to these low-paid workers, is it? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : My response to those workers is what I have just articulated. The facts of the matter are that we are having to manage the state’s finances during a difficult time, as are New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. I acknowledge that it is a difficult process to work through.
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