❓ Question regarding the Premier's comfort with perceived real wage cuts for public sector workers while attending events with business leaders. The Premier defends the government's wage offer and criticizes the opposition's attendance record in Parliament.
AnsweredQoN 529Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC SECTOR — WAGES
529. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Treasurer:
I have a supplementary question. As
the Treasurer, the minister who sets wages policy, is the Premier comfortable
with the fact that he is too busy to front up and explain to these workers, who
are opposed, why they must take a pay cut in real terms but shamelessly
available to quaff expensive wine at dinners with a select few businessmen?
Several members interjected.
529. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Treasurer:
I have a supplementary question. As
the Treasurer, the minister who sets wages policy, is the Premier comfortable
with the fact that he is too busy to front up and explain to these workers, who
are opposed, why they must take a pay cut in real terms but shamelessly
available to quaff expensive wine at dinners with a select few businessmen?
Several members interjected.
AnswerView source ↗
The Leader of the Opposition took
off recently and flew to Sydney to attend some conference with some of her conservative friends rather than come to
Parliament. That is what happened recently. I was attacked by the opposition for going to Collie and addressing the assembled workforces about the ongoing
arrangements for the coal industry, which I just
say to you all is not a pleasant experience to do. But I went down there and I did
it, whereas the Leader of the Opposition took off from Parliament to fly
to Sydney to catch up with some friends. So do not come in here running those
arguments.
Ms M.J. Davies : Don't
mislead the Parliament.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Yes, that is
what happened.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
Minister for Transport!
Mr M. McGOWAN : I attend a great
many events and functions. The other week I did a roundtable dinner with the
pharmacy industry. There was a range of businesspeople there. They served food
and wine. Next week or the week after, I will be attending the Business Council
of Australia dinner in Sydney as part of the national cabinet meetings. I assume
that at that dinner, food and wine will be served.
Dr D.J. Honey : Yes, it'll
be a $20 bottle of wine.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I do not know
what wine will be served.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Liberal Party, this is not your question.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It is beyond
pathetic that you do that, Leader of the Liberal Party, considering you want to
use your taxpayer-funded office for fundraisers for the Liberal Party. That is
what you do.
I will be attending the Business
Council of Australia dinner, I assume with other Premiers and the Prime
Minister and the like, in Sydney shortly as
part of the national cabinet meetings, followed by the skills summit. I do not
know what food or wine will be served. I do not control that. I think
any reasonable person would understand that. But I will be attending, and I assume
there will be property developers there. I assume there will be very high net
worth individuals there. I do not know. Maybe I will meet them. Maybe I will
talk to them. That is what you do in these roles. It is very naive not to
understand that.
In terms of the workforce, as I said,
our offer is three per cent plus three per cent, plus 0.5 per cent
superannuation each year, plus a $2 500 up-front payment, which is more
generous than New South Wales and Victoria, and that is whilst the cost of
living here is significantly less.
On
top of that, we have brought many of our employees in health, in prisons, in
transport and in Main Roads back i n house,
with more secure employment. We have converted around 15 000 to 20 000
employees, who for many years had very insecure work, to permanent
positions, particularly in education and health. We have provided domestic
violence leave. We have put in place workers' compensation reforms to
assist the workforce, and cost-of-living improvements.
One of the things we are most proud of is that when we came to office, we
reinstated the cuts to the agriculture
portfolio and provided additional staff. That was cut by the National Party. We
also ensured that education assistants
were re-employed and given greater permanency. They are the sorts of things
that we have done in office . Not many of them get attention, but I can
tell you that for the people involved —
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Are you
going to take off to Sydney again for a conference with your friends and miss
Parliament?
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Are you
going to take off and catch up with your friends over in Sydney and miss
Parliament ? That is what you do. You missed Parliament on Tuesday, I note.
These are the sorts of initiatives
that we have put in place as a government to support the workforce across Western
Australia, because that is what good governments do.
off recently and flew to Sydney to attend some conference with some of her conservative friends rather than come to
Parliament. That is what happened recently. I was attacked by the opposition for going to Collie and addressing the assembled workforces about the ongoing
arrangements for the coal industry, which I just
say to you all is not a pleasant experience to do. But I went down there and I did
it, whereas the Leader of the Opposition took off from Parliament to fly
to Sydney to catch up with some friends. So do not come in here running those
arguments.
Ms M.J. Davies : Don't
mislead the Parliament.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Yes, that is
what happened.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
Minister for Transport!
Mr M. McGOWAN : I attend a great
many events and functions. The other week I did a roundtable dinner with the
pharmacy industry. There was a range of businesspeople there. They served food
and wine. Next week or the week after, I will be attending the Business Council
of Australia dinner in Sydney as part of the national cabinet meetings. I assume
that at that dinner, food and wine will be served.
Dr D.J. Honey : Yes, it'll
be a $20 bottle of wine.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I do not know
what wine will be served.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Liberal Party, this is not your question.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It is beyond
pathetic that you do that, Leader of the Liberal Party, considering you want to
use your taxpayer-funded office for fundraisers for the Liberal Party. That is
what you do.
I will be attending the Business
Council of Australia dinner, I assume with other Premiers and the Prime
Minister and the like, in Sydney shortly as
part of the national cabinet meetings, followed by the skills summit. I do not
know what food or wine will be served. I do not control that. I think
any reasonable person would understand that. But I will be attending, and I assume
there will be property developers there. I assume there will be very high net
worth individuals there. I do not know. Maybe I will meet them. Maybe I will
talk to them. That is what you do in these roles. It is very naive not to
understand that.
In terms of the workforce, as I said,
our offer is three per cent plus three per cent, plus 0.5 per cent
superannuation each year, plus a $2 500 up-front payment, which is more
generous than New South Wales and Victoria, and that is whilst the cost of
living here is significantly less.
On
top of that, we have brought many of our employees in health, in prisons, in
transport and in Main Roads back i n house,
with more secure employment. We have converted around 15 000 to 20 000
employees, who for many years had very insecure work, to permanent
positions, particularly in education and health. We have provided domestic
violence leave. We have put in place workers' compensation reforms to
assist the workforce, and cost-of-living improvements.
One of the things we are most proud of is that when we came to office, we
reinstated the cuts to the agriculture
portfolio and provided additional staff. That was cut by the National Party. We
also ensured that education assistants
were re-employed and given greater permanency. They are the sorts of things
that we have done in office . Not many of them get attention, but I can
tell you that for the people involved —
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Are you
going to take off to Sydney again for a conference with your friends and miss
Parliament?
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Are you
going to take off and catch up with your friends over in Sydney and miss
Parliament ? That is what you do. You missed Parliament on Tuesday, I note.
These are the sorts of initiatives
that we have put in place as a government to support the workforce across Western
Australia, because that is what good governments do.
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