❓ Dr. Nahan questions the cost of making casual/fixed-term public servants permanent and its impact on household fees. The Minister's response is initially evasive, then defends the policy and accuses the opposition of attacking public sector workers.
AnsweredQoN 537Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC SECTOR —
PERMANENT POSITIONS
537. Dr
M.D. NAHAN to the Minister for Public Sector Management:
I refer to the decision of the
minister's government to make permanent up to 13 000 public servants currently
employed on a casual or fixed-term basis. Can the minister advise the house on
the cost of this policy and by how much fees and charges have to increase for
the average household to pay for his sweetheart deal with his union mates?
PERMANENT POSITIONS
537. Dr
M.D. NAHAN to the Minister for Public Sector Management:
I refer to the decision of the
minister's government to make permanent up to 13 000 public servants currently
employed on a casual or fixed-term basis. Can the minister advise the house on
the cost of this policy and by how much fees and charges have to increase for
the average household to pay for his sweetheart deal with his union mates?
AnswerView source ↗
I had some sympathy for the Leader
of the Opposition, but it is rapidly waning. I know there are people on his
side out to get him. I know the white-ants are out there. I must say to the
Leader of the Opposition that I think he is helping the white-ants. I am not
sure whose side he is on—the white-ants' side or his own side.
I think he is engaging in a deliberate strategy to assist the white-ants who
are undermining his position. The Leader of the Opposition goes through some
interesting strategies. His strategy on Saturday was unusual. Maybe there is
some genius behind it, but no-one I have met has been able to determine the
genius behind it yet. Maybe there is something there.
The SPEAKER : Premier, get to
the question, please.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It now appears
that the opposition hates the public sector. There are 130 000 or so public
sector workers out there, including teachers, child protection workers,
rangers, nurses and hospital orderlies. All those people are out there doing
important roles. All sorts of people in white-collar positions are fulfilling
important roles across the state in both the city and the regions. A range of
those positions get renewed each and every year, but, for some reason that goes
back historically, they never have a secure job. Taking out a mortgage, getting
a car loan or having some security to take a holiday are not open to these
people. They do not have that security of employment. Often, they are in lower
paid positions in the public sector, but their contracts get renewed. We have
put very careful parameters around it, but we are funding the positions at
least across the forward estimates, and having secure funding means that we
will have a process to convert those people to permanency. I thought we would
all applaud that, but I have learned today—it constantly amazes me—that
we cannot expect any rationality from the state Liberal Party. It is out there
defending the foreign property speculators to the disadvantage of ordinary Western
Australians. Now it is out there attacking those public sector workers. I think
the Liberal Party really needs to improve its strategy, its thinking and its
commitment to Western Australia.
of the Opposition, but it is rapidly waning. I know there are people on his
side out to get him. I know the white-ants are out there. I must say to the
Leader of the Opposition that I think he is helping the white-ants. I am not
sure whose side he is on—the white-ants' side or his own side.
I think he is engaging in a deliberate strategy to assist the white-ants who
are undermining his position. The Leader of the Opposition goes through some
interesting strategies. His strategy on Saturday was unusual. Maybe there is
some genius behind it, but no-one I have met has been able to determine the
genius behind it yet. Maybe there is something there.
The SPEAKER : Premier, get to
the question, please.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It now appears
that the opposition hates the public sector. There are 130 000 or so public
sector workers out there, including teachers, child protection workers,
rangers, nurses and hospital orderlies. All those people are out there doing
important roles. All sorts of people in white-collar positions are fulfilling
important roles across the state in both the city and the regions. A range of
those positions get renewed each and every year, but, for some reason that goes
back historically, they never have a secure job. Taking out a mortgage, getting
a car loan or having some security to take a holiday are not open to these
people. They do not have that security of employment. Often, they are in lower
paid positions in the public sector, but their contracts get renewed. We have
put very careful parameters around it, but we are funding the positions at
least across the forward estimates, and having secure funding means that we
will have a process to convert those people to permanency. I thought we would
all applaud that, but I have learned today—it constantly amazes me—that
we cannot expect any rationality from the state Liberal Party. It is out there
defending the foreign property speculators to the disadvantage of ordinary Western
Australians. Now it is out there attacking those public sector workers. I think
the Liberal Party really needs to improve its strategy, its thinking and its
commitment to Western Australia.
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