Mr STIRLING - 2000-03-01
Will the minister take this opportunity to explain to our public servants why he has changed the operative dates for the 2000 and 2001 pay rises by just one day, and will he further explain to all of our public servants how this one day change effectively rips them off by delaying their pay increase by a full pay fortnight?
ANSWER
I think you’ll find that this was just a little foible of the unions. Pay periods have to commence at one period or another, and the pay period, I think, was probably in accordance with the EBA. We do everything else in accordance with the arrangements that are put in place. You’ll find that in terms of the remuneration for Northern Territory public servants, the EBA has done them quite proudly. In fact, if you look at some of the specific examples, teachers, for example, you’ll find that on the national pay scale, they’ve done very well, thank you, and they should.
I heard a representative of the New South Wales Teachers Federation saying that the best paid teachers nowadays are in the Northern Territory. What is the honourable member complaining about? What is it that he doesn’t like about success? What leads the opposition to continually put Territorians down? What leads the opposition to continually minimalise a position and denigrate the efforts that not only Territory public servants are doing – this is in the case of the opposition spokesman for health - but also in relation to the public sector and the effort that goes into keeping the economy driving along at a rate that everyone else in Australia is proud of and is looking at with some form of admiration, and indeed wishing that they were in similar circumstances.
We have seen many examples today of the member for Wanguri misleading Territorians in terms of the conditions in our health services. You have seen the honourable member for Arnhem exposed for wanting to participate in a debate that he participated in last October. If even the 7 members opposite can’t recognise that as a level of incompetence, then we can fully understand why they have got a problem and why they are on the opposition benches.
ANSWER
I think you’ll find that this was just a little foible of the unions. Pay periods have to commence at one period or another, and the pay period, I think, was probably in accordance with the EBA. We do everything else in accordance with the arrangements that are put in place. You’ll find that in terms of the remuneration for Northern Territory public servants, the EBA has done them quite proudly. In fact, if you look at some of the specific examples, teachers, for example, you’ll find that on the national pay scale, they’ve done very well, thank you, and they should.
I heard a representative of the New South Wales Teachers Federation saying that the best paid teachers nowadays are in the Northern Territory. What is the honourable member complaining about? What is it that he doesn’t like about success? What leads the opposition to continually put Territorians down? What leads the opposition to continually minimalise a position and denigrate the efforts that not only Territory public servants are doing – this is in the case of the opposition spokesman for health - but also in relation to the public sector and the effort that goes into keeping the economy driving along at a rate that everyone else in Australia is proud of and is looking at with some form of admiration, and indeed wishing that they were in similar circumstances.
We have seen many examples today of the member for Wanguri misleading Territorians in terms of the conditions in our health services. You have seen the honourable member for Arnhem exposed for wanting to participate in a debate that he participated in last October. If even the 7 members opposite can’t recognise that as a level of incompetence, then we can fully understand why they have got a problem and why they are on the opposition benches.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016