❓ Hon Peter Collier questions the Minister for Health regarding a shortage of qualified Dental Assistants in WA, particularly in rural areas, and its potential link to low public sector pay and the gender pay gap. The Minister acknowledges the shortage but disputes the cause being solely public sector pay.
AnsweredQoN 2231Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Is the Minister aware that there is a shortage of qualified Dental Assistants?
(2) Is the Minister aware that Dental Health Services are employing unqualified Dental Assistants in country and regional areas due to a shortage of qualified Dental Assistants?
(3) Is the Minister aware that Dental Health Services are also advertising for unqualified Dental Assistants to carry on the duties of qualified Dental Assistants?
(4) Is the Minister aware that the shortage of qualified Dental Assistants is due to the low pay in the Public Service due to the Dental Assistants Certificate IV not being recognised?
(5) Is the Minister aware that this is a contributory factor to the gender pay gap, which the Labor Government is committed to reducing?
(2) Is the Minister aware that Dental Health Services are employing unqualified Dental Assistants in country and regional areas due to a shortage of qualified Dental Assistants?
(3) Is the Minister aware that Dental Health Services are also advertising for unqualified Dental Assistants to carry on the duties of qualified Dental Assistants?
(4) Is the Minister aware that the shortage of qualified Dental Assistants is due to the low pay in the Public Service due to the Dental Assistants Certificate IV not being recognised?
(5) Is the Minister aware that this is a contributory factor to the gender pay gap, which the Labor Government is committed to reducing?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
16 August 2005
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Health
Response time
54 days
(2) Yes, this has been the case in rural and remote areas for at least 30 years. (3) Yes, it is common practice in the dental industry to use Dental Assistants who have been trained on the job. Dental Health Services has advertised for experienced Dental Assistants capable of carrying out the work of a Dental Assistant in the public sector. (4) The shortage of Dental Assistants is affecting both the private and public sector. It cannot be attributed to pay levels in the public sector. The Certificate IV is among other qualifications recognised by the Dental Assistants Education Council of Australia (DAECA). Holding a DAECA recognised qualification is preferred for employment in public dental services. (5) The position of Dental Assistant is within the scope of the Government Officers Salaries, Allowances and Conditions General Award and is classified having regard to the associated work value and qualifications requirements. The classification of Dental Assistants is currently under review as a result of an application for reclassification made recently by the Civil Service Association.
(3) Yes, it is common practice in the dental industry to use Dental Assistants who have been trained on the job. Dental Health Services has advertised for experienced Dental Assistants capable of carrying out the work of a Dental Assistant in the public sector. (4) The shortage of Dental Assistants is affecting both the private and public sector. It cannot be attributed to pay levels in the public sector. The Certificate IV is among other qualifications recognised by the Dental Assistants Education Council of Australia (DAECA). Holding a DAECA recognised qualification is preferred for employment in public dental services. (5) The position of Dental Assistant is within the scope of the Government Officers Salaries, Allowances and Conditions General Award and is classified having regard to the associated work value and qualifications requirements. The classification of Dental Assistants is currently under review as a result of an application for reclassification made recently by the Civil Service Association.
(4) The shortage of Dental Assistants is affecting both the private and public sector. It cannot be attributed to pay levels in the public sector. The Certificate IV is among other qualifications recognised by the Dental Assistants Education Council of Australia (DAECA). Holding a DAECA recognised qualification is preferred for employment in public dental services. (5) The position of Dental Assistant is within the scope of the Government Officers Salaries, Allowances and Conditions General Award and is classified having regard to the associated work value and qualifications requirements. The classification of Dental Assistants is currently under review as a result of an application for reclassification made recently by the Civil Service Association.
The Certificate IV is among other qualifications recognised by the Dental Assistants Education Council of Australia (DAECA). Holding a DAECA recognised qualification is preferred for employment in public dental services. (5) The position of Dental Assistant is within the scope of the Government Officers Salaries, Allowances and Conditions General Award and is classified having regard to the associated work value and qualifications requirements. The classification of Dental Assistants is currently under review as a result of an application for reclassification made recently by the Civil Service Association.
(5) The position of Dental Assistant is within the scope of the Government Officers Salaries, Allowances and Conditions General Award and is classified having regard to the associated work value and qualifications requirements. The classification of Dental Assistants is currently under review as a result of an application for reclassification made recently by the Civil Service Association.
(3) Yes, it is common practice in the dental industry to use Dental Assistants who have been trained on the job. Dental Health Services has advertised for experienced Dental Assistants capable of carrying out the work of a Dental Assistant in the public sector. (4) The shortage of Dental Assistants is affecting both the private and public sector. It cannot be attributed to pay levels in the public sector. The Certificate IV is among other qualifications recognised by the Dental Assistants Education Council of Australia (DAECA). Holding a DAECA recognised qualification is preferred for employment in public dental services. (5) The position of Dental Assistant is within the scope of the Government Officers Salaries, Allowances and Conditions General Award and is classified having regard to the associated work value and qualifications requirements. The classification of Dental Assistants is currently under review as a result of an application for reclassification made recently by the Civil Service Association.
(4) The shortage of Dental Assistants is affecting both the private and public sector. It cannot be attributed to pay levels in the public sector. The Certificate IV is among other qualifications recognised by the Dental Assistants Education Council of Australia (DAECA). Holding a DAECA recognised qualification is preferred for employment in public dental services. (5) The position of Dental Assistant is within the scope of the Government Officers Salaries, Allowances and Conditions General Award and is classified having regard to the associated work value and qualifications requirements. The classification of Dental Assistants is currently under review as a result of an application for reclassification made recently by the Civil Service Association.
The Certificate IV is among other qualifications recognised by the Dental Assistants Education Council of Australia (DAECA). Holding a DAECA recognised qualification is preferred for employment in public dental services. (5) The position of Dental Assistant is within the scope of the Government Officers Salaries, Allowances and Conditions General Award and is classified having regard to the associated work value and qualifications requirements. The classification of Dental Assistants is currently under review as a result of an application for reclassification made recently by the Civil Service Association.
(5) The position of Dental Assistant is within the scope of the Government Officers Salaries, Allowances and Conditions General Award and is classified having regard to the associated work value and qualifications requirements. The classification of Dental Assistants is currently under review as a result of an application for reclassification made recently by the Civil Service Association.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.