❓ Mr. Board questions the Minister for Justice regarding pay discrepancies for prison nurses, while the Minister defends the government's commitment to nurses' pay and blames delays on the Australian Nursing Federation.
AnsweredQoN 340Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the minister to the current industrial action being undertaken by Western Australian prison nurses. (1) Is the minister aware that circular to departments and authorities No 26 of 2001, which applies to prison nurses, states that employees covered by the Nurses (ANF - WA Public Sector) Award, or by enterprise bargaining agreements that are read in conjunction with this award, and whose rate of pay is less than that in attachment A, are to receive pay adjustments that equate to the benchmark rate, with effect from July 2001? (2) Why is the minister’s department now refusing to honour this commitment and offering the pay adjustment with effect only from June 2002? (3) Why is the Department of Justice spending $20 000 a day on relief agency nurses rather than using this money to honour its original promise to prison nurses? (4) Is the minister aware that his department risks losing employed nurses back to agencies, which will only cost his department more money? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Murdoch for the question. (1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
(1) Is the minister aware that circular to departments and authorities No 26 of 2001, which applies to prison nurses, states that employees covered by the Nurses (ANF - WA Public Sector) Award, or by enterprise bargaining agreements that are read in conjunction with this award, and whose rate of pay is less than that in attachment A, are to receive pay adjustments that equate to the benchmark rate, with effect from July 2001? (2) Why is the minister’s department now refusing to honour this commitment and offering the pay adjustment with effect only from June 2002? (3) Why is the Department of Justice spending $20 000 a day on relief agency nurses rather than using this money to honour its original promise to prison nurses? (4) Is the minister aware that his department risks losing employed nurses back to agencies, which will only cost his department more money? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for Murdoch for the question. (1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
(2) Why is the minister’s department now refusing to honour this commitment and offering the pay adjustment with effect only from June 2002? (3) Why is the Department of Justice spending $20 000 a day on relief agency nurses rather than using this money to honour its original promise to prison nurses? (4) Is the minister aware that his department risks losing employed nurses back to agencies, which will only cost his department more money? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for Murdoch for the question. (1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
(3) Why is the Department of Justice spending $20 000 a day on relief agency nurses rather than using this money to honour its original promise to prison nurses? (4) Is the minister aware that his department risks losing employed nurses back to agencies, which will only cost his department more money? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for Murdoch for the question. (1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
(4) Is the minister aware that his department risks losing employed nurses back to agencies, which will only cost his department more money? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for Murdoch for the question. (1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for Murdoch for the question. (1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
I thank the member for Murdoch for the question. (1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
(1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
[Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
[Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
[Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
[Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
[Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
(1) Is the minister aware that circular to departments and authorities No 26 of 2001, which applies to prison nurses, states that employees covered by the Nurses (ANF - WA Public Sector) Award, or by enterprise bargaining agreements that are read in conjunction with this award, and whose rate of pay is less than that in attachment A, are to receive pay adjustments that equate to the benchmark rate, with effect from July 2001? (2) Why is the minister’s department now refusing to honour this commitment and offering the pay adjustment with effect only from June 2002? (3) Why is the Department of Justice spending $20 000 a day on relief agency nurses rather than using this money to honour its original promise to prison nurses? (4) Is the minister aware that his department risks losing employed nurses back to agencies, which will only cost his department more money? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for Murdoch for the question. (1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
(2) Why is the minister’s department now refusing to honour this commitment and offering the pay adjustment with effect only from June 2002? (3) Why is the Department of Justice spending $20 000 a day on relief agency nurses rather than using this money to honour its original promise to prison nurses? (4) Is the minister aware that his department risks losing employed nurses back to agencies, which will only cost his department more money? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for Murdoch for the question. (1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
(3) Why is the Department of Justice spending $20 000 a day on relief agency nurses rather than using this money to honour its original promise to prison nurses? (4) Is the minister aware that his department risks losing employed nurses back to agencies, which will only cost his department more money? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for Murdoch for the question. (1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
(4) Is the minister aware that his department risks losing employed nurses back to agencies, which will only cost his department more money? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for Murdoch for the question. (1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for Murdoch for the question. (1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
I thank the member for Murdoch for the question. (1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
(1)-(4) I will make a couple of comments by way of introduction to this issue. The first is that I do not remember a great deal of generosity from the other side of politics when it was in government when it came to, particularly, nurses’ rates of pay. Members opposite might recall that in the lead-up to the last election, some 19 months ago, a very paltry offer was made by their side of politics to the State’s nurses, who were dramatically underpaid. Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr M.F. Board: It is the same arrangement, and you know it. Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: No, it is not - far from it. The member will find that the package that was offered, which was described at the time - and I agree with it - as the best deal for nurses in a decade, and was one that the people opposite could not conclude - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
[Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: The people in the gallery are quite welcome to be here, but they are not permitted to participate in the debate. Any interjections may cause the Parliament to not operate properly, and we cannot allow that to happen. We are perfectly willing to have the people in the gallery here, and we welcome them, but they are not allowed to participate in the debate. Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr M.F. Board: The only difference between those two arrangements in the enterprise bargaining agreement is that you piled in a lot of money for nurses who you could not employ and you know it! They are not there. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: Order, members! I know the interjection from across the House is interesting but it is not the answer. Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I recollect the figures, the previous Government made an offer of just over $100 million as the package for nurses. That was the way in which it regarded nurses in this State. The package we offered was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade in this State. The package was resolved with the nurses last year. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: Order, member for Alfred Cove! Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: As I have said, the package we put together for the nurses was described as the best deal for nurses in a decade. It represented an injection of funding of $289 million into nursing in this State. Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Dr J.M. Woollard interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Alfred Cove to order for the first time. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you going to talk about prison nurses? Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: Indeed, I will. The rate of pay for a level 2/1 prison nurse as of 31 May this year was $827 a week. Because of the tardiness of the Australian Nursing Federation in concluding an agreement on this matter, I have instructed the Department of Justice to apply full parity with other nurses, which represents $938.10 a week. That is an enormous adjustment to the rate of pay for prison nurses in this State. I have directed that it be paid administratively because of the tardiness in reaching an agreement. The agreement can then be signed off. It is not fair that people should have to wait any longer for that particular pay rise. The question of parity has been resolved. It is not in any sense an issue between us. It will be in nurses’ pay packets at the next pay. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
[Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: Order! Perhaps people in the public gallery did not hear what I said earlier. Interjections from the public gallery in this House are not acceptable. If people persist, they will be removed from the public gallery. I do not want to order it but I will do so if people persist. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
[Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: Applause is regarded as an attempt to disrupt the proceedings of this House, and it also is unacceptable. Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: There will be a pay rise of more than $110 a week for a nurse at level 2/1. It will be paid administratively into people’s accounts from the next payday because of the delay in reaching an agreement on the matter. I have also looked at the issue of retrospectivity. An EBA was in place affecting nurses working in the State’s prisons. That agreement expired on 31 May this year. I have authorised the Department of Justice to make an offer of retrospectivity to the date of the expiry of that agreement, which is the standard arrangement in these circumstances. It is the most beneficial arrangement that anyone could hope for in those circumstances. I will be crystal clear on this - [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
[Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: Order! I will ask security staff to identify and remove from the gallery the next persons to interject. Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: We have had what I believe to be the unseemly spectacle in this State of prison nurses taking strike action. Since Wednesday, 20 November - for almost a week - these people have not been tending to their patients. I think we all know that prisoners in this State suffer from some of the worst health conditions faced by the community. I can do no better than to repeat the words of the independent Inspector of Custodial Services in this State, Professor Richard Harding, who has described the actions of these nurses as unconscionable. They are his words. Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Several members interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I agree completely with that assessment of what is going on. I also give people the very loud and clear message that I will not be bullied into making a payment that is not justified on its merits. I will take action to make sure that what is justified on its merits takes place. That is why I have instructed the Department of Justice to achieve parity and to back pay it. Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr M.F. Board interjected. Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
Mr J.A. McGINTY: I make it clear to everyone that this will not be agreed to because of bullying tactics. We will not pay that money when it is not justified. We will not bow to that pressure. [Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
[Interruption from the gallery.] The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
The SPEAKER: I will leave the Chair until that section of the gallery is cleared. Sitting suspended from 2.26 to 2.29 pm
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