A parliamentary question regarding the handling of a police pay dispute, with the questioning member accusing the minister of poor handling and the minister defending the government's approach and criticising the opposition.

AnsweredQoN 606Legislative Assembly
Asked
13 September 2006
Portfolio
Police and Emergency Services

QuestionView source ↗

POLICE PAY DISPUTE - END OF GOOD-FAITH BARGAINING PERIOD
I refer to the minister’s poor handling of the police pay dispute. The minister will be aware that this morning the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission formally ordered the end of the good-faith bargaining period and essentially removed the WAIRC from the police pay dispute process on the application of the government. Mr J.C. Kobelke : Can you repeat your question? It does not make any sense to me. Mr R.F. JOHNSON : I am about to ask the question. The minister must use his ears for listening. (1) Given the minister’s continual threats to take the matter to the Industrial Relations Commission over the past three months, why was he not ready today to advance the negotiating process? (2) Is the government incapable of resolving this issue, and can the minister advise the house what real steps he will take to restore community confidence? Mr J.C. KOBELKE

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for his nonsensical question. It was absolute rubbish. (1)-(2) The member can make his judgment about poor handling of the pay dispute, but I am very happy with the way in which the government is handling it. The government wants the police to get a pay increase. Members opposite do not. They simply want to grandstand, otherwise they would not be saying the things they are saying and showing their total ignorance. The member’s suggestion that somehow the government has removed the Industrial Relations Commission from the process, when it has actually applied to have the bargaining period ended so that arbitration can take place, shows how little interest he has in ensuring that the police get a good pay increase. The member should come and talk to me; I would be happy to try to explain the Industrial Relations Commission system to him. I know he is against the Industrial Relations Commission, and that might be his party’s policy position, but the government supports the Industrial Relations Commission. It has an important role. We will work through the commission to ensure that the police get a good pay increase.
Mr J.C. Kobelke : Can you repeat your question? It does not make any sense to me. Mr R.F. JOHNSON : I am about to ask the question. The minister must use his ears for listening. (1) Given the minister’s continual threats to take the matter to the Industrial Relations Commission over the past three months, why was he not ready today to advance the negotiating process? (2) Is the government incapable of resolving this issue, and can the minister advise the house what real steps he will take to restore community confidence? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I thank the member for his nonsensical question. It was absolute rubbish. (1)-(2) The member can make his judgment about poor handling of the pay dispute, but I am very happy with the way in which the government is handling it. The government wants the police to get a pay increase. Members opposite do not. They simply want to grandstand, otherwise they would not be saying the things they are saying and showing their total ignorance. The member’s suggestion that somehow the government has removed the Industrial Relations Commission from the process, when it has actually applied to have the bargaining period ended so that arbitration can take place, shows how little interest he has in ensuring that the police get a good pay increase. The member should come and talk to me; I would be happy to try to explain the Industrial Relations Commission system to him. I know he is against the Industrial Relations Commission, and that might be his party’s policy position, but the government supports the Industrial Relations Commission. It has an important role. We will work through the commission to ensure that the police get a good pay increase.
Mr R.F. JOHNSON : I am about to ask the question. The minister must use his ears for listening. (1) Given the minister’s continual threats to take the matter to the Industrial Relations Commission over the past three months, why was he not ready today to advance the negotiating process? (2) Is the government incapable of resolving this issue, and can the minister advise the house what real steps he will take to restore community confidence? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I thank the member for his nonsensical question. It was absolute rubbish. (1)-(2) The member can make his judgment about poor handling of the pay dispute, but I am very happy with the way in which the government is handling it. The government wants the police to get a pay increase. Members opposite do not. They simply want to grandstand, otherwise they would not be saying the things they are saying and showing their total ignorance. The member’s suggestion that somehow the government has removed the Industrial Relations Commission from the process, when it has actually applied to have the bargaining period ended so that arbitration can take place, shows how little interest he has in ensuring that the police get a good pay increase. The member should come and talk to me; I would be happy to try to explain the Industrial Relations Commission system to him. I know he is against the Industrial Relations Commission, and that might be his party’s policy position, but the government supports the Industrial Relations Commission. It has an important role. We will work through the commission to ensure that the police get a good pay increase.
(1) Given the minister’s continual threats to take the matter to the Industrial Relations Commission over the past three months, why was he not ready today to advance the negotiating process? (2) Is the government incapable of resolving this issue, and can the minister advise the house what real steps he will take to restore community confidence? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I thank the member for his nonsensical question. It was absolute rubbish. (1)-(2) The member can make his judgment about poor handling of the pay dispute, but I am very happy with the way in which the government is handling it. The government wants the police to get a pay increase. Members opposite do not. They simply want to grandstand, otherwise they would not be saying the things they are saying and showing their total ignorance. The member’s suggestion that somehow the government has removed the Industrial Relations Commission from the process, when it has actually applied to have the bargaining period ended so that arbitration can take place, shows how little interest he has in ensuring that the police get a good pay increase. The member should come and talk to me; I would be happy to try to explain the Industrial Relations Commission system to him. I know he is against the Industrial Relations Commission, and that might be his party’s policy position, but the government supports the Industrial Relations Commission. It has an important role. We will work through the commission to ensure that the police get a good pay increase.
(2) Is the government incapable of resolving this issue, and can the minister advise the house what real steps he will take to restore community confidence? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I thank the member for his nonsensical question. It was absolute rubbish. (1)-(2) The member can make his judgment about poor handling of the pay dispute, but I am very happy with the way in which the government is handling it. The government wants the police to get a pay increase. Members opposite do not. They simply want to grandstand, otherwise they would not be saying the things they are saying and showing their total ignorance. The member’s suggestion that somehow the government has removed the Industrial Relations Commission from the process, when it has actually applied to have the bargaining period ended so that arbitration can take place, shows how little interest he has in ensuring that the police get a good pay increase. The member should come and talk to me; I would be happy to try to explain the Industrial Relations Commission system to him. I know he is against the Industrial Relations Commission, and that might be his party’s policy position, but the government supports the Industrial Relations Commission. It has an important role. We will work through the commission to ensure that the police get a good pay increase.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I thank the member for his nonsensical question. It was absolute rubbish. (1)-(2) The member can make his judgment about poor handling of the pay dispute, but I am very happy with the way in which the government is handling it. The government wants the police to get a pay increase. Members opposite do not. They simply want to grandstand, otherwise they would not be saying the things they are saying and showing their total ignorance. The member’s suggestion that somehow the government has removed the Industrial Relations Commission from the process, when it has actually applied to have the bargaining period ended so that arbitration can take place, shows how little interest he has in ensuring that the police get a good pay increase. The member should come and talk to me; I would be happy to try to explain the Industrial Relations Commission system to him. I know he is against the Industrial Relations Commission, and that might be his party’s policy position, but the government supports the Industrial Relations Commission. It has an important role. We will work through the commission to ensure that the police get a good pay increase.
I thank the member for his nonsensical question. It was absolute rubbish. (1)-(2) The member can make his judgment about poor handling of the pay dispute, but I am very happy with the way in which the government is handling it. The government wants the police to get a pay increase. Members opposite do not. They simply want to grandstand, otherwise they would not be saying the things they are saying and showing their total ignorance. The member’s suggestion that somehow the government has removed the Industrial Relations Commission from the process, when it has actually applied to have the bargaining period ended so that arbitration can take place, shows how little interest he has in ensuring that the police get a good pay increase. The member should come and talk to me; I would be happy to try to explain the Industrial Relations Commission system to him. I know he is against the Industrial Relations Commission, and that might be his party’s policy position, but the government supports the Industrial Relations Commission. It has an important role. We will work through the commission to ensure that the police get a good pay increase.
(1)-(2) The member can make his judgment about poor handling of the pay dispute, but I am very happy with the way in which the government is handling it. The government wants the police to get a pay increase. Members opposite do not. They simply want to grandstand, otherwise they would not be saying the things they are saying and showing their total ignorance. The member’s suggestion that somehow the government has removed the Industrial Relations Commission from the process, when it has actually applied to have the bargaining period ended so that arbitration can take place, shows how little interest he has in ensuring that the police get a good pay increase. The member should come and talk to me; I would be happy to try to explain the Industrial Relations Commission system to him. I know he is against the Industrial Relations Commission, and that might be his party’s policy position, but the government supports the Industrial Relations Commission. It has an important role. We will work through the commission to ensure that the police get a good pay increase.

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