❓ Ms Baker questions the Premier about public sector redundancies, accusing him of breaking a promise. The Premier defends the redundancies as voluntary and necessary for modernisation, citing economic pressures.
AnsweredQoN 785Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC
SECTOR — REDUNDANCIES
785. Ms L.L. BAKER to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's broken promise in announcing 1 500
public sector redundancies on top of last year's 1 000.
(1) Can the Premier exclude WA Police and child protection employees
from the redundancy push?
(2) How much has been allocated to meet the up-front costs of these
payments?
SECTOR — REDUNDANCIES
785. Ms L.L. BAKER to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's broken promise in announcing 1 500
public sector redundancies on top of last year's 1 000.
(1) Can the Premier exclude WA Police and child protection employees
from the redundancy push?
(2) How much has been allocated to meet the up-front costs of these
payments?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I do not get the point about ''broken
promise'' at all. The government had, 18 months ago, a redundancy
program for 1 000 public servants; it was oversubscribed. Many public servants—more
than the government anticipated—wanted to take that package, which was
a generous payout.
Ms
L.L. Baker interjected.
The SPEAKER : Just wait a minute, member for Maylands.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The government has decided on a further 1 500
redundancies, and I expect that will be fully subscribed on a voluntary basis.
We will have powers for involuntary redundancy next year, as passed by this
Parliament, but they will be used only in selective cases when people are
unproductive, uncooperative, unsuited for their work and it has been impossible
to redeploy them. It is a very simple set of criteria. No exclusion exists, and
people from anywhere within the public sector can nominate for voluntary
redundancy. That is up to them and their director general. In some cases that
will be declined, because they will be regarded as essential for the area, but
the government is not discriminating between any part of the public sector.
That is it.
Time is overdue for a
bit of real reform within the Western Australian public service. We have an
environment in which many workers in the private sector have no wage increases
and many have wage cuts. It is a tough time across the whole economy compared
with recent years. In the public sector, government employees are basically
getting consumer price index increases, and we anticipate that to increase. It
is time for modernisation within the public sector. In the first half of next
year the government will discuss with public service representatives, union
representatives and others about modernising employment conditions in the
public sector; indeed, some of the changes may well prove attractive and of
long-term benefit to dedicated public servants.
promise'' at all. The government had, 18 months ago, a redundancy
program for 1 000 public servants; it was oversubscribed. Many public servants—more
than the government anticipated—wanted to take that package, which was
a generous payout.
Ms
L.L. Baker interjected.
The SPEAKER : Just wait a minute, member for Maylands.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The government has decided on a further 1 500
redundancies, and I expect that will be fully subscribed on a voluntary basis.
We will have powers for involuntary redundancy next year, as passed by this
Parliament, but they will be used only in selective cases when people are
unproductive, uncooperative, unsuited for their work and it has been impossible
to redeploy them. It is a very simple set of criteria. No exclusion exists, and
people from anywhere within the public sector can nominate for voluntary
redundancy. That is up to them and their director general. In some cases that
will be declined, because they will be regarded as essential for the area, but
the government is not discriminating between any part of the public sector.
That is it.
Time is overdue for a
bit of real reform within the Western Australian public service. We have an
environment in which many workers in the private sector have no wage increases
and many have wage cuts. It is a tough time across the whole economy compared
with recent years. In the public sector, government employees are basically
getting consumer price index increases, and we anticipate that to increase. It
is time for modernisation within the public sector. In the first half of next
year the government will discuss with public service representatives, union
representatives and others about modernising employment conditions in the
public sector; indeed, some of the changes may well prove attractive and of
long-term benefit to dedicated public servants.
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