❓ Hon Giz Watson questions the Education Minister regarding act of grace payments made to former Balga Works Program employees, seeking details on claims, payments, counselling, legal advice costs, and overall expenditure in resolving the compensation issue.
AnsweredQoN 3811Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to Recommendation 11 of Report 12 of the Standing Committee on Estimates and Financial Operations published in May 2008, which was a majority recommendation, ‘that the Government reimburse all former employees of the Balga Works Program who can demonstrate their claims for outstanding wages and superannuation’, and your authorisation in October 2010 of act of grace payments by the Department of Education to six former employees of Hurston Pty Ltd in acknowledgement of the impact the Balga Works program had on them, and I ask -
(1) Regarding each of the former employees the Department was able to contact (individual names not required), -
(a) how much did they claim;
(b) how much did they receive as an act of grace payment;
(c) separately from the answer to (1)(b), how much did they receive in the form of debriefing and counselling pursuant to Recommendation 13 of the Committee’s report; and
(d) what else did they receive?
(2) How much did the Department and/or the Minister’s Office spend on legal advice regarding compensation?
(3) In total, how much do you estimate was spent by the Department and/or the Minister’s Office resolving the compensation issue, including time spent responding to requests for updates by the Committee, Members of Parliament and the former employees between May 2008 and October 2010?
(1) Regarding each of the former employees the Department was able to contact (individual names not required), -
(a) how much did they claim;
(b) how much did they receive as an act of grace payment;
(c) separately from the answer to (1)(b), how much did they receive in the form of debriefing and counselling pursuant to Recommendation 13 of the Committee’s report; and
(d) what else did they receive?
(2) How much did the Department and/or the Minister’s Office spend on legal advice regarding compensation?
(3) In total, how much do you estimate was spent by the Department and/or the Minister’s Office resolving the compensation issue, including time spent responding to requests for updates by the Committee, Members of Parliament and the former employees between May 2008 and October 2010?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
25 May 2011
Responded by
Minister for Energy representing the Minister for Education
Response time
48 days
Please note that the ex gratia payments made to six former employees of Hurson Pty Ltd who worked on the Balga Works Program, which commenced in February 2005 and collapsed in October 2006, was authorised by the Government.
(1)(a) The claims by the six former employees, which were not confined to outstanding wages and superannuation but extended generally to loss and expense said to be consequential upon their employment by Hurston Pty Ltd, were in essence as follows:
Person A - $88 558
Person B - $19 216
Person C - $37 500
Person D - $11 060
Person E - $5 292
Person F - $117 000
(1)(b) Person A - $25 000
Person B - $5 000
Person C - $2 000
Person D - $4 000
Person E - $5 292
Person F - $25 000
(1)(c) Person A $10 755.
(1)(d) Not applicable.
(2) Legal advice was provided by the State Solicitor's Office and no charge was raised.
(3) While the question is uncertain and ambiguous as to the information sought, please note that matters concerning the Balga Works Program were attended to by officers in the ordinary course of their duties.
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(1)(a) The claims by the six former employees, which were not confined to outstanding wages and superannuation but extended generally to loss and expense said to be consequential upon their employment by Hurston Pty Ltd, were in essence as follows:
Person A - $88 558
Person B - $19 216
Person C - $37 500
Person D - $11 060
Person E - $5 292
Person F - $117 000
(1)(b) Person A - $25 000
Person B - $5 000
Person C - $2 000
Person D - $4 000
Person E - $5 292
Person F - $25 000
(1)(c) Person A $10 755.
(1)(d) Not applicable.
(2) Legal advice was provided by the State Solicitor's Office and no charge was raised.
(3) While the question is uncertain and ambiguous as to the information sought, please note that matters concerning the Balga Works Program were attended to by officers in the ordinary course of their duties.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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