❓ Opposition Leader questions Premier about the impact of public sector redundancies on frontline services like nursing, teaching, and child protection, particularly regarding existing staff shortages. Premier assures redundancies are targeted and voluntary, with replacements planned where necessary.
AnsweredQoN 260Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC SECTOR — REDUNDANCIES
260. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer the Premier to the 1 200
public sector staff cuts he announced last week in which no-one will be
excluded from applying for a voluntary redundancy.
(1) Is it true
that in order to achieve the government's savings goals, not only must
staff be made redundant, but 1 000 positions must be abolished?
(2) How can
abolishing positions such as nurses, teachers and child protection workers not
negatively impact front-line services?
(3) Given that
there is currently a shortage of approximately 41 caseworkers in the Department
for Child Protection and Family Support, how can the government guarantee that
in the event a caseworker applies for a redundancy, children will not be placed
at greater risk?
260. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer the Premier to the 1 200
public sector staff cuts he announced last week in which no-one will be
excluded from applying for a voluntary redundancy.
(1) Is it true
that in order to achieve the government's savings goals, not only must
staff be made redundant, but 1 000 positions must be abolished?
(2) How can
abolishing positions such as nurses, teachers and child protection workers not
negatively impact front-line services?
(3) Given that
there is currently a shortage of approximately 41 caseworkers in the Department
for Child Protection and Family Support, how can the government guarantee that
in the event a caseworker applies for a redundancy, children will not be placed
at greater risk?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I
think the obvious point in response to the Leader of the Opposition's
question is that these are targeted and voluntary redundancies. If there is a
shortage in an area—maybe caseworkers and child protection is one such
area—I would expect that redundancies will not be offered, unless there
is perhaps someone who is not seen as doing the job properly or incapable of
doing it, for whatever reason. The redundancies are to be voluntary and
targeted. If, for example, a teacher applies for a voluntary redundancy and the
department agrees, that teacher may well go, but obviously there will be
another teacher recruited to take the place. I do not see the point of the
question. They are targeted and they are voluntary.
Yes, we will shift from a
full-time equivalent cap to a salaries cap. There will be savings from what I
would expect will be mainly administrative positions—some 1 000 people
probably will go—and they will be savings to Treasury. If there are
further voluntary redundancies, those savings will be retained by the
departments. In the case of, if you like, compulsory redundancies, again those
savings will be retained by the departments. I think it is pretty obvious. It
is a targeted voluntary scheme. Obviously, we will target areas where there are
surplus employees and we will target those employees in the organisation who
perhaps are not as productive as we would want. I think it is pretty
straightforward.
think the obvious point in response to the Leader of the Opposition's
question is that these are targeted and voluntary redundancies. If there is a
shortage in an area—maybe caseworkers and child protection is one such
area—I would expect that redundancies will not be offered, unless there
is perhaps someone who is not seen as doing the job properly or incapable of
doing it, for whatever reason. The redundancies are to be voluntary and
targeted. If, for example, a teacher applies for a voluntary redundancy and the
department agrees, that teacher may well go, but obviously there will be
another teacher recruited to take the place. I do not see the point of the
question. They are targeted and they are voluntary.
Yes, we will shift from a
full-time equivalent cap to a salaries cap. There will be savings from what I
would expect will be mainly administrative positions—some 1 000 people
probably will go—and they will be savings to Treasury. If there are
further voluntary redundancies, those savings will be retained by the
departments. In the case of, if you like, compulsory redundancies, again those
savings will be retained by the departments. I think it is pretty obvious. It
is a targeted voluntary scheme. Obviously, we will target areas where there are
surplus employees and we will target those employees in the organisation who
perhaps are not as productive as we would want. I think it is pretty
straightforward.
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