❓ Mr. Cook questions the Minister for Health regarding the nurses' pay deal negotiated during the election campaign, alleging 'illegitimate' pressure and the Premier's office involvement. The Minister denies direct conversations with lead negotiators but confirms departmental involvement and briefings.
AnsweredQoN 55Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NURSES — ENTERPRISE BARGAINING AGREEMENT — DEPARTMENT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET
55. Mr R.H. COOK to the
Minister for Health:
My question without notice is to the
Minister for Health —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Carine, I call you to order for the first time. Nobody
can hear the member for Kwinana.
Mr
R.H. COOK : I refer to the pay deal struck with the nurses' union
during the election campaign in February last year and the minister's
claims now that it was achieved using ''illegitimate'' pressure.
(1) Did the
Minister for Health have conversations with Mr Peter Conran regarding this
during the pay deal negotiations with the nurses?
(2) If yes to (1), what were they?
(3) Did the
Premier's office lead the negotiations?
(4) Why is the
minister now trying to back out of this deal?
55. Mr R.H. COOK to the
Minister for Health:
My question without notice is to the
Minister for Health —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Carine, I call you to order for the first time. Nobody
can hear the member for Kwinana.
Mr
R.H. COOK : I refer to the pay deal struck with the nurses' union
during the election campaign in February last year and the minister's
claims now that it was achieved using ''illegitimate'' pressure.
(1) Did the
Minister for Health have conversations with Mr Peter Conran regarding this
during the pay deal negotiations with the nurses?
(2) If yes to (1), what were they?
(3) Did the
Premier's office lead the negotiations?
(4) Why is the
minister now trying to back out of this deal?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(4) No, I did not have
communication over —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the first time.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I did not have any discussions —
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the first time.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Third time lucky. No; I did not have any conversations with
people who were leading the negotiations, but my health department —
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : Did you feel left out at the very least, minister?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the second time.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I need to go back, for the member for Victoria Park, to work
out what the responsibilities were for negotiating pay deals. It was not with
individual ministers such as me as Minister for Health. It was under the
direction and management of the Minister for Commerce—was it?
Mr C.J. Barnett :
Yes.
Dr K.D. HAMES :
Yes, the Minister for Commerce. My health department people were certainly
involved and I was certainly being briefed about all of the information they
gave to Mr Conran. They were having direct communication with Mr Conran and the
Department of the Premier and Cabinet, who were leading the negotiations, to
discuss with them issues —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the second time.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
think I have just about finished; I have answered the question.
communication over —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the first time.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I did not have any discussions —
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the first time.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : Third time lucky. No; I did not have any conversations with
people who were leading the negotiations, but my health department —
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : Did you feel left out at the very least, minister?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park, I call you to order for the second time.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I need to go back, for the member for Victoria Park, to work
out what the responsibilities were for negotiating pay deals. It was not with
individual ministers such as me as Minister for Health. It was under the
direction and management of the Minister for Commerce—was it?
Mr C.J. Barnett :
Yes.
Dr K.D. HAMES :
Yes, the Minister for Commerce. My health department people were certainly
involved and I was certainly being briefed about all of the information they
gave to Mr Conran. They were having direct communication with Mr Conran and the
Department of the Premier and Cabinet, who were leading the negotiations, to
discuss with them issues —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the second time.
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
think I have just about finished; I have answered the question.
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