❓ Hon Sue Ellery questions the Minister for Disability Services about the remuneration gap between Disability Services Commission employees and those in the non-government sector, following a recent pay increase for DSC workers. The Minister acknowledges the disparity and outlines plans to address it through indexation growth in funding for non-government organisations.
AnsweredQoN 575Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Disability Services Commission — EMPLOYEE REMUNERATION INCREASE
I refer the minister to the recent increase in remuneration for employees of the Disability Services Commission, as a result of the restructure of their classification system. (1) Does the minister agree that there is now a significant gap in remuneration between those employees employed by the commission providing care to people with disabilities as opposed to those employed in the community sector providing the same kind of care, and that that gap is in fact now greater than the four per cent indexation payment that was made? (2) Does the minister have any plans to ensure that the non-government sector can continue to attract and retain quality staff; and, if so, what are those plans? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN
I refer the minister to the recent increase in remuneration for employees of the Disability Services Commission, as a result of the restructure of their classification system. (1) Does the minister agree that there is now a significant gap in remuneration between those employees employed by the commission providing care to people with disabilities as opposed to those employed in the community sector providing the same kind of care, and that that gap is in fact now greater than the four per cent indexation payment that was made? (2) Does the minister have any plans to ensure that the non-government sector can continue to attract and retain quality staff; and, if so, what are those plans? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for her question, and her ongoing interest in these matters. (1) Representations are regularly made, and rightly so, by representatives of the non-government funded organisations that there is a disparity in remuneration between carers—to use a generic term—employed by the Disability Services Commission and equivalent employees in the non-government sector. I will make a couple of brief observations about these in response to the honourable member’s question. Firstly, there is a need to compare apples with apples, as I am sure the member will be aware. Quite often the packages available to the respective categories in the government and non-government sectors are made up of varying components in remuneration and general conditions of service. It is not always possible to make a direct comparison. However, there are some differences, and the proposition that the honourable member has put is demonstrably correct. The recent increase in pay for DSC workers—I was very pleased that we were able to achieve that overdue increase, and I think everyone is very happy about it—has had a clear tendency to draw apart the respective positions, and has resulted in government workers being better remunerated than non-government workers. (2) I believe that I have some prospects to present. I have asked the DSC to work up a model that I would like to present to the non-government sector in due course. Without wanting to — Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
(1) Does the minister agree that there is now a significant gap in remuneration between those employees employed by the commission providing care to people with disabilities as opposed to those employed in the community sector providing the same kind of care, and that that gap is in fact now greater than the four per cent indexation payment that was made? (2) Does the minister have any plans to ensure that the non-government sector can continue to attract and retain quality staff; and, if so, what are those plans? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the member for her question, and her ongoing interest in these matters. (1) Representations are regularly made, and rightly so, by representatives of the non-government funded organisations that there is a disparity in remuneration between carers—to use a generic term—employed by the Disability Services Commission and equivalent employees in the non-government sector. I will make a couple of brief observations about these in response to the honourable member’s question. Firstly, there is a need to compare apples with apples, as I am sure the member will be aware. Quite often the packages available to the respective categories in the government and non-government sectors are made up of varying components in remuneration and general conditions of service. It is not always possible to make a direct comparison. However, there are some differences, and the proposition that the honourable member has put is demonstrably correct. The recent increase in pay for DSC workers—I was very pleased that we were able to achieve that overdue increase, and I think everyone is very happy about it—has had a clear tendency to draw apart the respective positions, and has resulted in government workers being better remunerated than non-government workers. (2) I believe that I have some prospects to present. I have asked the DSC to work up a model that I would like to present to the non-government sector in due course. Without wanting to — Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
(2) Does the minister have any plans to ensure that the non-government sector can continue to attract and retain quality staff; and, if so, what are those plans? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the member for her question, and her ongoing interest in these matters. (1) Representations are regularly made, and rightly so, by representatives of the non-government funded organisations that there is a disparity in remuneration between carers—to use a generic term—employed by the Disability Services Commission and equivalent employees in the non-government sector. I will make a couple of brief observations about these in response to the honourable member’s question. Firstly, there is a need to compare apples with apples, as I am sure the member will be aware. Quite often the packages available to the respective categories in the government and non-government sectors are made up of varying components in remuneration and general conditions of service. It is not always possible to make a direct comparison. However, there are some differences, and the proposition that the honourable member has put is demonstrably correct. The recent increase in pay for DSC workers—I was very pleased that we were able to achieve that overdue increase, and I think everyone is very happy about it—has had a clear tendency to draw apart the respective positions, and has resulted in government workers being better remunerated than non-government workers. (2) I believe that I have some prospects to present. I have asked the DSC to work up a model that I would like to present to the non-government sector in due course. Without wanting to — Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the member for her question, and her ongoing interest in these matters. (1) Representations are regularly made, and rightly so, by representatives of the non-government funded organisations that there is a disparity in remuneration between carers—to use a generic term—employed by the Disability Services Commission and equivalent employees in the non-government sector. I will make a couple of brief observations about these in response to the honourable member’s question. Firstly, there is a need to compare apples with apples, as I am sure the member will be aware. Quite often the packages available to the respective categories in the government and non-government sectors are made up of varying components in remuneration and general conditions of service. It is not always possible to make a direct comparison. However, there are some differences, and the proposition that the honourable member has put is demonstrably correct. The recent increase in pay for DSC workers—I was very pleased that we were able to achieve that overdue increase, and I think everyone is very happy about it—has had a clear tendency to draw apart the respective positions, and has resulted in government workers being better remunerated than non-government workers. (2) I believe that I have some prospects to present. I have asked the DSC to work up a model that I would like to present to the non-government sector in due course. Without wanting to — Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
I thank the member for her question, and her ongoing interest in these matters. (1) Representations are regularly made, and rightly so, by representatives of the non-government funded organisations that there is a disparity in remuneration between carers—to use a generic term—employed by the Disability Services Commission and equivalent employees in the non-government sector. I will make a couple of brief observations about these in response to the honourable member’s question. Firstly, there is a need to compare apples with apples, as I am sure the member will be aware. Quite often the packages available to the respective categories in the government and non-government sectors are made up of varying components in remuneration and general conditions of service. It is not always possible to make a direct comparison. However, there are some differences, and the proposition that the honourable member has put is demonstrably correct. The recent increase in pay for DSC workers—I was very pleased that we were able to achieve that overdue increase, and I think everyone is very happy about it—has had a clear tendency to draw apart the respective positions, and has resulted in government workers being better remunerated than non-government workers. (2) I believe that I have some prospects to present. I have asked the DSC to work up a model that I would like to present to the non-government sector in due course. Without wanting to — Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
(1) Representations are regularly made, and rightly so, by representatives of the non-government funded organisations that there is a disparity in remuneration between carers—to use a generic term—employed by the Disability Services Commission and equivalent employees in the non-government sector. I will make a couple of brief observations about these in response to the honourable member’s question. Firstly, there is a need to compare apples with apples, as I am sure the member will be aware. Quite often the packages available to the respective categories in the government and non-government sectors are made up of varying components in remuneration and general conditions of service. It is not always possible to make a direct comparison. However, there are some differences, and the proposition that the honourable member has put is demonstrably correct. The recent increase in pay for DSC workers—I was very pleased that we were able to achieve that overdue increase, and I think everyone is very happy about it—has had a clear tendency to draw apart the respective positions, and has resulted in government workers being better remunerated than non-government workers. (2) I believe that I have some prospects to present. I have asked the DSC to work up a model that I would like to present to the non-government sector in due course. Without wanting to — Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
(2) I believe that I have some prospects to present. I have asked the DSC to work up a model that I would like to present to the non-government sector in due course. Without wanting to — Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
(1) Does the minister agree that there is now a significant gap in remuneration between those employees employed by the commission providing care to people with disabilities as opposed to those employed in the community sector providing the same kind of care, and that that gap is in fact now greater than the four per cent indexation payment that was made? (2) Does the minister have any plans to ensure that the non-government sector can continue to attract and retain quality staff; and, if so, what are those plans? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the member for her question, and her ongoing interest in these matters. (1) Representations are regularly made, and rightly so, by representatives of the non-government funded organisations that there is a disparity in remuneration between carers—to use a generic term—employed by the Disability Services Commission and equivalent employees in the non-government sector. I will make a couple of brief observations about these in response to the honourable member’s question. Firstly, there is a need to compare apples with apples, as I am sure the member will be aware. Quite often the packages available to the respective categories in the government and non-government sectors are made up of varying components in remuneration and general conditions of service. It is not always possible to make a direct comparison. However, there are some differences, and the proposition that the honourable member has put is demonstrably correct. The recent increase in pay for DSC workers—I was very pleased that we were able to achieve that overdue increase, and I think everyone is very happy about it—has had a clear tendency to draw apart the respective positions, and has resulted in government workers being better remunerated than non-government workers. (2) I believe that I have some prospects to present. I have asked the DSC to work up a model that I would like to present to the non-government sector in due course. Without wanting to — Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
(2) Does the minister have any plans to ensure that the non-government sector can continue to attract and retain quality staff; and, if so, what are those plans? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the member for her question, and her ongoing interest in these matters. (1) Representations are regularly made, and rightly so, by representatives of the non-government funded organisations that there is a disparity in remuneration between carers—to use a generic term—employed by the Disability Services Commission and equivalent employees in the non-government sector. I will make a couple of brief observations about these in response to the honourable member’s question. Firstly, there is a need to compare apples with apples, as I am sure the member will be aware. Quite often the packages available to the respective categories in the government and non-government sectors are made up of varying components in remuneration and general conditions of service. It is not always possible to make a direct comparison. However, there are some differences, and the proposition that the honourable member has put is demonstrably correct. The recent increase in pay for DSC workers—I was very pleased that we were able to achieve that overdue increase, and I think everyone is very happy about it—has had a clear tendency to draw apart the respective positions, and has resulted in government workers being better remunerated than non-government workers. (2) I believe that I have some prospects to present. I have asked the DSC to work up a model that I would like to present to the non-government sector in due course. Without wanting to — Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: I thank the member for her question, and her ongoing interest in these matters. (1) Representations are regularly made, and rightly so, by representatives of the non-government funded organisations that there is a disparity in remuneration between carers—to use a generic term—employed by the Disability Services Commission and equivalent employees in the non-government sector. I will make a couple of brief observations about these in response to the honourable member’s question. Firstly, there is a need to compare apples with apples, as I am sure the member will be aware. Quite often the packages available to the respective categories in the government and non-government sectors are made up of varying components in remuneration and general conditions of service. It is not always possible to make a direct comparison. However, there are some differences, and the proposition that the honourable member has put is demonstrably correct. The recent increase in pay for DSC workers—I was very pleased that we were able to achieve that overdue increase, and I think everyone is very happy about it—has had a clear tendency to draw apart the respective positions, and has resulted in government workers being better remunerated than non-government workers. (2) I believe that I have some prospects to present. I have asked the DSC to work up a model that I would like to present to the non-government sector in due course. Without wanting to — Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
I thank the member for her question, and her ongoing interest in these matters. (1) Representations are regularly made, and rightly so, by representatives of the non-government funded organisations that there is a disparity in remuneration between carers—to use a generic term—employed by the Disability Services Commission and equivalent employees in the non-government sector. I will make a couple of brief observations about these in response to the honourable member’s question. Firstly, there is a need to compare apples with apples, as I am sure the member will be aware. Quite often the packages available to the respective categories in the government and non-government sectors are made up of varying components in remuneration and general conditions of service. It is not always possible to make a direct comparison. However, there are some differences, and the proposition that the honourable member has put is demonstrably correct. The recent increase in pay for DSC workers—I was very pleased that we were able to achieve that overdue increase, and I think everyone is very happy about it—has had a clear tendency to draw apart the respective positions, and has resulted in government workers being better remunerated than non-government workers. (2) I believe that I have some prospects to present. I have asked the DSC to work up a model that I would like to present to the non-government sector in due course. Without wanting to — Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
(1) Representations are regularly made, and rightly so, by representatives of the non-government funded organisations that there is a disparity in remuneration between carers—to use a generic term—employed by the Disability Services Commission and equivalent employees in the non-government sector. I will make a couple of brief observations about these in response to the honourable member’s question. Firstly, there is a need to compare apples with apples, as I am sure the member will be aware. Quite often the packages available to the respective categories in the government and non-government sectors are made up of varying components in remuneration and general conditions of service. It is not always possible to make a direct comparison. However, there are some differences, and the proposition that the honourable member has put is demonstrably correct. The recent increase in pay for DSC workers—I was very pleased that we were able to achieve that overdue increase, and I think everyone is very happy about it—has had a clear tendency to draw apart the respective positions, and has resulted in government workers being better remunerated than non-government workers. (2) I believe that I have some prospects to present. I have asked the DSC to work up a model that I would like to present to the non-government sector in due course. Without wanting to — Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
(2) I believe that I have some prospects to present. I have asked the DSC to work up a model that I would like to present to the non-government sector in due course. Without wanting to — Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
Hon Sue Ellery : Tell me? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I am more than happy to involve the Leader of the Opposition in my thoughts on the matter, although probably not now, during question time. Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
Basically, I will be relying on the better levels of indexation growth in funding as a mechanism by which the non-government organisations can get access to money to help make up that perceived discrepancy. Just recently, this has been the subject of an agenda item in a couple of meetings I have had with the Director General of the Disability Services Commission, and we are progressing that matter and working up a proposal.
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