❓ The Premier responds to a question regarding TAFE staff attending a union rally, asserting public servants' right to choose, provided public services continue. He criticises the Liberal Party's past actions on freedom of expression.
AnsweredQoN 312Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Does the Premier support the directive given to technical and further education college managers that they should allow their staff to take three and a half hours off work to attend the politically motivated union rally on Thursday and, perhaps more importantly, that staff should claim this time off as trade union training? Dr G.I. GALLOP
AnswerView source ↗
As I have indicated in this house on many occasions, my view is that public servants should be able to exercise their free choice on this matter, subject to the condition that the public services of Western Australia continue on behalf of the people of Western Australia. That is my position on the matter. I find it very interesting that whenever questions about the ability of people to express themselves arise, we always get the same answer from the Liberal Party in Western Australia. We remember the efforts that were made by the former Minister for Education, the member for Cottesloe, in attempting to stifle the views of schoolteachers in our system who had some objections to government policies at that time. I repeat what I have said on previous occasions: this is a matter of choice, as long as the public services of Western Australia continue to operate on behalf of the people of Western Australia.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: As I have indicated in this house on many occasions, my view is that public servants should be able to exercise their free choice on this matter, subject to the condition that the public services of Western Australia continue on behalf of the people of Western Australia. That is my position on the matter. I find it very interesting that whenever questions about the ability of people to express themselves arise, we always get the same answer from the Liberal Party in Western Australia. We remember the efforts that were made by the former Minister for Education, the member for Cottesloe, in attempting to stifle the views of schoolteachers in our system who had some objections to government policies at that time. I repeat what I have said on previous occasions: this is a matter of choice, as long as the public services of Western Australia continue to operate on behalf of the people of Western Australia.
As I have indicated in this house on many occasions, my view is that public servants should be able to exercise their free choice on this matter, subject to the condition that the public services of Western Australia continue on behalf of the people of Western Australia. That is my position on the matter. I find it very interesting that whenever questions about the ability of people to express themselves arise, we always get the same answer from the Liberal Party in Western Australia. We remember the efforts that were made by the former Minister for Education, the member for Cottesloe, in attempting to stifle the views of schoolteachers in our system who had some objections to government policies at that time. I repeat what I have said on previous occasions: this is a matter of choice, as long as the public services of Western Australia continue to operate on behalf of the people of Western Australia.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: As I have indicated in this house on many occasions, my view is that public servants should be able to exercise their free choice on this matter, subject to the condition that the public services of Western Australia continue on behalf of the people of Western Australia. That is my position on the matter. I find it very interesting that whenever questions about the ability of people to express themselves arise, we always get the same answer from the Liberal Party in Western Australia. We remember the efforts that were made by the former Minister for Education, the member for Cottesloe, in attempting to stifle the views of schoolteachers in our system who had some objections to government policies at that time. I repeat what I have said on previous occasions: this is a matter of choice, as long as the public services of Western Australia continue to operate on behalf of the people of Western Australia.
As I have indicated in this house on many occasions, my view is that public servants should be able to exercise their free choice on this matter, subject to the condition that the public services of Western Australia continue on behalf of the people of Western Australia. That is my position on the matter. I find it very interesting that whenever questions about the ability of people to express themselves arise, we always get the same answer from the Liberal Party in Western Australia. We remember the efforts that were made by the former Minister for Education, the member for Cottesloe, in attempting to stifle the views of schoolteachers in our system who had some objections to government policies at that time. I repeat what I have said on previous occasions: this is a matter of choice, as long as the public services of Western Australia continue to operate on behalf of the people of Western Australia.
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