❓ Opposition Leader Mark McGowan questions Premier Colin Barnett about public sector job cuts, citing a broken election promise. The Premier defends the voluntary redundancies as necessary for efficient public sector management.
AnsweredQoN 244Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC
SECTOR — REDUNDANCIES
244. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer to the government's announcement today to axe
1 200 public sector jobs to help resolve the government's budget
mismanagement and to the Premier's previous statement of 27 September
last year prior to the election in which he made it very clear that no cuts
were proposed or planned for staffing within the public sector—none at
all.
(1) Why has the Premier broken
another election promise?
(2) Can the
Premier guarantee that no police officer, teacher, nurse or child protection
worker will be affected by this round of redundancies?
SECTOR — REDUNDANCIES
244. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer to the government's announcement today to axe
1 200 public sector jobs to help resolve the government's budget
mismanagement and to the Premier's previous statement of 27 September
last year prior to the election in which he made it very clear that no cuts
were proposed or planned for staffing within the public sector—none at
all.
(1) Why has the Premier broken
another election promise?
(2) Can the
Premier guarantee that no police officer, teacher, nurse or child protection
worker will be affected by this round of redundancies?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
First, I can say that the announcement this morning was for 1 000 voluntary
redundancies—voluntary. People have to apply for a redundancy package.
That is not sacking or dismissing workers. That is voluntary. In other words,
they have to apply. That is a bit of detail that the opposition seems to have
overlooked.
The legislation to introduce
involuntary or compulsory redundancy—it will require legislation—will
not in my view apply to that many people. Indeed, people who might come under
that category are more than likely to apply for voluntary redundancy, as it is
so much more attractive; it is eight weeks' pay more attractive. I
think that will happen.
In any organisation, private or
public, senior management has to have the ability to manage staff. If someone
is redundant in their job or in their skills and simply refuses to leave and is
sitting about being paid to do nothing, it is fair and reasonable and certainly
in the interest of taxpayers that that person be moved on. It happens
throughout the world; it happens throughout all industry and businesses in this
state, and it is part of modern practice. That is why the commonwealth and
every other state has similar provisions, and most of them have had them for a
long, long time. It applies to those cases in which people refuse to work,
refuse to move on or simply cannot be gainfully employed.
Yes, I made the statement in
September to which the Leader of the Opposition referred. In September last
year there were no plans. We have, however, subsequent to the election, made
the decision to proceed with this voluntary package and that is what we are
doing.
Mr M. McGowan :
Huh!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
That is true.
First, I can say that the announcement this morning was for 1 000 voluntary
redundancies—voluntary. People have to apply for a redundancy package.
That is not sacking or dismissing workers. That is voluntary. In other words,
they have to apply. That is a bit of detail that the opposition seems to have
overlooked.
The legislation to introduce
involuntary or compulsory redundancy—it will require legislation—will
not in my view apply to that many people. Indeed, people who might come under
that category are more than likely to apply for voluntary redundancy, as it is
so much more attractive; it is eight weeks' pay more attractive. I
think that will happen.
In any organisation, private or
public, senior management has to have the ability to manage staff. If someone
is redundant in their job or in their skills and simply refuses to leave and is
sitting about being paid to do nothing, it is fair and reasonable and certainly
in the interest of taxpayers that that person be moved on. It happens
throughout the world; it happens throughout all industry and businesses in this
state, and it is part of modern practice. That is why the commonwealth and
every other state has similar provisions, and most of them have had them for a
long, long time. It applies to those cases in which people refuse to work,
refuse to move on or simply cannot be gainfully employed.
Yes, I made the statement in
September to which the Leader of the Opposition referred. In September last
year there were no plans. We have, however, subsequent to the election, made
the decision to proceed with this voluntary package and that is what we are
doing.
Mr M. McGowan :
Huh!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
That is true.
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