Mr GUNNER - 2014-02-18
At 10 am yesterday, firefighter union delegates were called in by the Public Employment Commissioner to tell them he had been instructed by the Police Commissioner and a minister that if they do not accept your pay offer he was authorised to take further action. Which minister provided those instructions, you or your Minister for Public Employment? If time can be made to bring in the Police and Public Employment Commissioners to instruct them to make threats to Territory firefighters, why can time not be made to meet with Territory firefighters to hear their concerns directly? What further action against our firefighters are you proposing?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question and I ask the Minister for Public Employment to answer it.
Mr ELFERINK (Public Employment): Madam Speaker, the government is engaged in a number of negotiations with Enterprise Bargaining Agreements. We have already successfully navigated our way through the Power and Water EBA, the medicos at the hospital - the doctors - and the general public service has accepted the offer from the Northern Territory government in relation to the deal we put on the table, because they want to get on with things. We hear all sorts of demands from the members opposite. We have to fix the paramedics EBA – we do not employ any paramedics, nevertheless …
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question was not about paramedics, it was about firefighters. What further action has the minister directed the Public Employment Commissioner to take against our firefighters?
Madam SPEAKER: The minister has three minutes to answer the question. Minister, if you could get to the point.
Mr ELFERINK: I have instructed that the EBA negotiation process be pursued, but the link between the United Voice union and the Labor party could not be clearer. Every time the Labor party wants to have a whinge about something it works hand in glove with the most militant union in the Northern Territory to stir up as much trouble as it can. I have said in this House in the past that I have great respect for our firefighters, but I have also had the temerity, according to the members opposite, to ask questions about the firefighters claims. I have said they run the risk of trading off against their good reputation whilst trying to pursue claims which include up to 23% income increases under the EBA. I am concerned about an overtime practice, particularly in the Darwin area, in which firefighters are taking advantage of the rules, enabling themselves to get overtime at double time rates.
This is of concern to me and we should air those sorts of concerns. I am also concerned - and I said this publicly last week in the House – their primary job is to protect Territorians. Many of them have a second job. What I said last week, and will continue to say here, is I am deeply concerned if those second jobs get in the way of their primary jobs. We should, as a government, have the temerity to ask the question, because I want my firefighters primed and ready for duty to protect the interests of Northern Territorians. I do not believe this is an unreasonable position to have.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question and I ask the Minister for Public Employment to answer it.
Mr ELFERINK (Public Employment): Madam Speaker, the government is engaged in a number of negotiations with Enterprise Bargaining Agreements. We have already successfully navigated our way through the Power and Water EBA, the medicos at the hospital - the doctors - and the general public service has accepted the offer from the Northern Territory government in relation to the deal we put on the table, because they want to get on with things. We hear all sorts of demands from the members opposite. We have to fix the paramedics EBA – we do not employ any paramedics, nevertheless …
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. The question was not about paramedics, it was about firefighters. What further action has the minister directed the Public Employment Commissioner to take against our firefighters?
Madam SPEAKER: The minister has three minutes to answer the question. Minister, if you could get to the point.
Mr ELFERINK: I have instructed that the EBA negotiation process be pursued, but the link between the United Voice union and the Labor party could not be clearer. Every time the Labor party wants to have a whinge about something it works hand in glove with the most militant union in the Northern Territory to stir up as much trouble as it can. I have said in this House in the past that I have great respect for our firefighters, but I have also had the temerity, according to the members opposite, to ask questions about the firefighters claims. I have said they run the risk of trading off against their good reputation whilst trying to pursue claims which include up to 23% income increases under the EBA. I am concerned about an overtime practice, particularly in the Darwin area, in which firefighters are taking advantage of the rules, enabling themselves to get overtime at double time rates.
This is of concern to me and we should air those sorts of concerns. I am also concerned - and I said this publicly last week in the House – their primary job is to protect Territorians. Many of them have a second job. What I said last week, and will continue to say here, is I am deeply concerned if those second jobs get in the way of their primary jobs. We should, as a government, have the temerity to ask the question, because I want my firefighters primed and ready for duty to protect the interests of Northern Territorians. I do not believe this is an unreasonable position to have.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016