❓ Mr. Wyatt questions the Treasurer on why the government's wages policy wasn't applied to nurses' enterprise bargaining agreement, specifically regarding a potential 8.25% wage increase. The Treasurer avoids a direct answer, leading to repeated points of order from Mr. Wyatt.
AnsweredQoN 781Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NURSES —
ENTERPRISE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
781. Mr B.S. WYATT to the
Treasurer:
I have a supplementary question. In light of the fact that
the Treasurer confirmed during budget estimates that the conditions will
inflate the totality of that wages deal, and in light of the fact that the
Treasurer's wages policy at the time would have entitled nurses to a
wage increase of 8.25 per cent, why did he not apply the wages policy to that
particular negotiation?
ENTERPRISE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
781. Mr B.S. WYATT to the
Treasurer:
I have a supplementary question. In light of the fact that
the Treasurer confirmed during budget estimates that the conditions will
inflate the totality of that wages deal, and in light of the fact that the
Treasurer's wages policy at the time would have entitled nurses to a
wage increase of 8.25 per cent, why did he not apply the wages policy to that
particular negotiation?
AnswerView source ↗
What I said at the time of the estimates hearings, as I
recall, is there is a possibility that the settlement of the conditions
attached to the nurses' agreement would impact on the wage outcome.
Clearly, there is a possibility of that happening. I do not know at what stage
that negotiation is, but in relation to wages policy there is a very
interesting contrast and a very interesting test, I suspect in the next week or
two, for the opposition.
Point of Order
Mr B.S. WYATT : My question was
very specific in terms of two aspects: firstly, the total cost that the
Treasurer could not answer nine months later; and secondly, why was the then
wages policy of the government not applied?
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : I am simply saying that at least we have a wages policy. At
least this government has a wages policy, which is not —
Point of Order
Mr B.S. WYATT : Perhaps the
Treasurer can also confirm if he has actually applied the wages policy to the
nurses' deal?
The
SPEAKER : There is no point of order.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Does the member
not want to hear the answer? Here is the answer: when the opposition was in
government, it did not have a wages policy. Soon the opposition has to
negotiate —
Point of Order
Mr B.S. WYATT : Perhaps the
Treasurer can confirm, again, why, despite having a wages policy in the first
term, he did not apply the wages policy?
The
SPEAKER : Thank you.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
And soon, for the Leader of the Opposition —
Point of Order
Mr
B.S. WYATT : Perhaps the Treasurer can confirm that he did not apply
the wages policy of the first term of the government. That is what I am looking
forward to from the Treasurer.
The SPEAKER : Okay.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
In the next week or two —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : I
will take another one.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
The member can keep going all day and I will get up and give the same answer.
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
am not looking at the member, I am looking at the Leader of the Opposition,
because there will be a test.
Several members interjected.
Point of Order
Mr B.S. WYATT : Can the Treasurer
outline whether he passed the test of applying the government's wages
policy in the first term?
The SPEAKER : There
is no point of order.
Several members interjected.
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : On the point of order, the member for Victoria Park is
acting like a jack-in-the-box. He is effectively trying to ask about five or
six supplementary questions.
The SPEAKER : We
know that. There is no point of order. Treasurer, wind this up, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
It is simple; there will be a test in this place in the next couple of weeks,
and I bet my left leg and my right leg that the opposition will oppose it,
because the Leader of the Opposition has no backbone!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : That
concludes that question.
recall, is there is a possibility that the settlement of the conditions
attached to the nurses' agreement would impact on the wage outcome.
Clearly, there is a possibility of that happening. I do not know at what stage
that negotiation is, but in relation to wages policy there is a very
interesting contrast and a very interesting test, I suspect in the next week or
two, for the opposition.
Point of Order
Mr B.S. WYATT : My question was
very specific in terms of two aspects: firstly, the total cost that the
Treasurer could not answer nine months later; and secondly, why was the then
wages policy of the government not applied?
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : I am simply saying that at least we have a wages policy. At
least this government has a wages policy, which is not —
Point of Order
Mr B.S. WYATT : Perhaps the
Treasurer can also confirm if he has actually applied the wages policy to the
nurses' deal?
The
SPEAKER : There is no point of order.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Does the member
not want to hear the answer? Here is the answer: when the opposition was in
government, it did not have a wages policy. Soon the opposition has to
negotiate —
Point of Order
Mr B.S. WYATT : Perhaps the
Treasurer can confirm, again, why, despite having a wages policy in the first
term, he did not apply the wages policy?
The
SPEAKER : Thank you.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
And soon, for the Leader of the Opposition —
Point of Order
Mr
B.S. WYATT : Perhaps the Treasurer can confirm that he did not apply
the wages policy of the first term of the government. That is what I am looking
forward to from the Treasurer.
The SPEAKER : Okay.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
In the next week or two —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : I
will take another one.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
The member can keep going all day and I will get up and give the same answer.
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
am not looking at the member, I am looking at the Leader of the Opposition,
because there will be a test.
Several members interjected.
Point of Order
Mr B.S. WYATT : Can the Treasurer
outline whether he passed the test of applying the government's wages
policy in the first term?
The SPEAKER : There
is no point of order.
Several members interjected.
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : On the point of order, the member for Victoria Park is
acting like a jack-in-the-box. He is effectively trying to ask about five or
six supplementary questions.
The SPEAKER : We
know that. There is no point of order. Treasurer, wind this up, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
It is simple; there will be a test in this place in the next couple of weeks,
and I bet my left leg and my right leg that the opposition will oppose it,
because the Leader of the Opposition has no backbone!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : That
concludes that question.
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