❓ Dr. Steve Thomas questions the McGowan government's public sector spending, focusing on salary increases, workforce growth, redundancy savings, and permanent employee conversions. The government defends its hiring practices, particularly in frontline services like health and education, and criticizes the previous Liberal-National government's record.
AnsweredQoN 1009Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC SECTOR — STAFF — SALARIES
1009. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Public Sector Management:
I refer to the State of the WA
government sector workforce 2020–21 report released today that showed
that salaries comprised $13.5 billion, or 39
per cent of general government expenses, and grew at a rate of 4.5 per cent
last year.
(1) Given that the WA government sector workforce has
increased every year under the McGowan government by a total of 12 215
people, or 8.8 per cent, over the past five years, does the government stand by
its claim that 3 000 redundancies have saved the state over $1 billion?
(2) With the
government committed to employing thousands more health workers, will the
government meet its 2.8 per cent expense growth target for 2021–22?
(3) Of the 15 500 employees converted to permanency,
what was the average level and salary of those contracts?
(4) Given that the number of managers by occupation has
increased by almost 1 000 FTEs over the past five years, how many senior
executive service positions were there in 2016–17, 2017–18,
2018–19, 2019– 20 and 2020–21?
1009. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Public Sector Management:
I refer to the State of the WA
government sector workforce 2020–21 report released today that showed
that salaries comprised $13.5 billion, or 39
per cent of general government expenses, and grew at a rate of 4.5 per cent
last year.
(1) Given that the WA government sector workforce has
increased every year under the McGowan government by a total of 12 215
people, or 8.8 per cent, over the past five years, does the government stand by
its claim that 3 000 redundancies have saved the state over $1 billion?
(2) With the
government committed to employing thousands more health workers, will the
government meet its 2.8 per cent expense growth target for 2021–22?
(3) Of the 15 500 employees converted to permanency,
what was the average level and salary of those contracts?
(4) Given that the number of managers by occupation has
increased by almost 1 000 FTEs over the past five years, how many senior
executive service positions were there in 2016–17, 2017–18,
2018–19, 2019– 20 and 2020–21?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The growth in FTEs has been in frontline services,
with almost 80 per cent of the growth from health and education alone. We make
no apologies for hiring more nurses, doctors, teachers and teaching assistants,
unlike the WA Leader of the Liberal Party, who has stated that he would
cut jobs from the public sector. Under the previous
Liberal–National government, the number of FTEs reported in the budget
increased by 13 314, from 97 348 to 110 662. This is despite five rounds of
voluntary separations at a cost of $393 million.
(3) The state
government has provided certainty to thousands of workers and their families by
providing permanent employment rather than contract or temporary employment, as
was the case under the previous Liberal–National
government. A breakdown of the information requested would require considerable
time and resources to prepare. If the honourable member has a particular
question, I would encourage him to put it on notice.
(4) The information is provided in tabular form, so I seek
leave to have that information incorporated into Hansard .
[Leave granted for the following
material to be incorporated.]
June
2015
497
June
2016
492
June
2017
507
June
2018
383
June
2019
383
June
2020
413
March
2021
400
some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The growth in FTEs has been in frontline services,
with almost 80 per cent of the growth from health and education alone. We make
no apologies for hiring more nurses, doctors, teachers and teaching assistants,
unlike the WA Leader of the Liberal Party, who has stated that he would
cut jobs from the public sector. Under the previous
Liberal–National government, the number of FTEs reported in the budget
increased by 13 314, from 97 348 to 110 662. This is despite five rounds of
voluntary separations at a cost of $393 million.
(3) The state
government has provided certainty to thousands of workers and their families by
providing permanent employment rather than contract or temporary employment, as
was the case under the previous Liberal–National
government. A breakdown of the information requested would require considerable
time and resources to prepare. If the honourable member has a particular
question, I would encourage him to put it on notice.
(4) The information is provided in tabular form, so I seek
leave to have that information incorporated into Hansard .
[Leave granted for the following
material to be incorporated.]
June
2015
497
June
2016
492
June
2017
507
June
2018
383
June
2019
383
June
2020
413
March
2021
400
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