❓ Opposition Leader Mark McGowan questions Premier Colin Barnett about significant pay rises for his staff compared to the 2.75% offered to other public sector workers. Barnett defends the pay rises by citing staff reductions and past spending habits of the opposition.
AnsweredQoN 248Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT — WAGES
248. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Does the Premier accept that he has set an incredibly poor example by providing
such massive pay rises to his own personal staff of up to 52 per cent while
telling all the other public service workers out there that they are entitled
to only a 2.75 per cent increase?
248. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Does the Premier accept that he has set an incredibly poor example by providing
such massive pay rises to his own personal staff of up to 52 per cent while
telling all the other public service workers out there that they are entitled
to only a 2.75 per cent increase?
AnswerView source ↗
Remember that the Leader of the
Opposition wrote to me seeking a significant pay rise for his chief of staff.
Mr
M. McGowan : Four per cent.
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : He is a bit sensitive. I am accountable —
Mr
P. Papalia interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I formally call you to order for the first
time today. Can you let the Premier answer the question and then we can have
further questions.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I accept the criticism about salaries and employment within
the term of government and within ministerial offices. I remind the house that
under this government there are 30 fewer ministerial staff than there were
under Labor. Under this government, there
are 65 fewer term-of-government or political appointees than there were
under Labor. We got rid of all of Labor's structure—its special
little local community group and media groups—and basically we have a
limited number of media staff. Yes, when we dramatically reduce the number of
political appointments and the overall size of ministerial offices, we will
have some key people who get paid more, but overall there are major savings in ministerial offices' expenditure under this government
compared with Labor. The Leader of the Opposition was one of the serial
offenders. He was the one who had light bulbs around his mirror. He spent $600 000
on a ministerial office that lasted 12 months. He is a serial offender in
wasting public money.
Opposition wrote to me seeking a significant pay rise for his chief of staff.
Mr
M. McGowan : Four per cent.
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : He is a bit sensitive. I am accountable —
Mr
P. Papalia interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I formally call you to order for the first
time today. Can you let the Premier answer the question and then we can have
further questions.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I accept the criticism about salaries and employment within
the term of government and within ministerial offices. I remind the house that
under this government there are 30 fewer ministerial staff than there were
under Labor. Under this government, there
are 65 fewer term-of-government or political appointees than there were
under Labor. We got rid of all of Labor's structure—its special
little local community group and media groups—and basically we have a
limited number of media staff. Yes, when we dramatically reduce the number of
political appointments and the overall size of ministerial offices, we will
have some key people who get paid more, but overall there are major savings in ministerial offices' expenditure under this government
compared with Labor. The Leader of the Opposition was one of the serial
offenders. He was the one who had light bulbs around his mirror. He spent $600 000
on a ministerial office that lasted 12 months. He is a serial offender in
wasting public money.
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