Mrs HICKEY - 1995-08-23
The government's pay offer to the Territory's hardworking public servants does not even keep pace with the inflation estimate, does not provide for separate enterprise agreements, except in the case of the Darwin Bus Service or the police, and fails to recognise what the minister responsible says are the legitimate aspirations of PAWA blue-collar workers for an
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enterprise agreement. Why is the Country Liberal Party government determined to screw the Territory's 15 000 hardworking and dedicated public servants out of a fair and equitable pay rise?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I am intrigued by the language that the member has chosen to use.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr Ede: Chuck her out!
Mr FINCH: Quite simply, in fact, the Northern Territory CLP government has treated its public servants very well over time. The current round of negotiations in relation to pay increases are in step with the states, with other industries ...
Mr Ede: Compare them with politicians' pay rises over the ...
Mr FINCH: ... with other governments. They are being accepted by a number of sections of the public service to enable them to take advantage of a salary increase from this current pay period, which finishes on Thursday 24 August 1995. A very attractive component in the offer made in this round of negotiations is not only the 3% plus 4% - that is, 7% over the next 2 years - but a guarantee that there will be no job losses for those sections of the public service which are involved in this agreement, and we trust that that will be all in due course.
Quite logically, if we pay more than we can afford to pay, the money has to come from somewhere else. Thus, it is not a matter of writing cheques blindly, as Premier Carr did to pay off the teachers in New South Wales for voting for him, which was an extraordinary and totally unjustifiable process. Are those the sort of negotiations that the Labor Party would engage in on behalf of the taxpayer?
Members interjecting.
Mr FINCH: It is the taxpayers' money that is used here. Do you see this as an open chequebook for you to buy votes, to do ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr FINCH: What we are talking about here is a fair dinkum round of negotiations to ensure that Territory public servants receive justified and affordable increases that are offset against benefits that will be returned to government. The government's offer is accompanied by a guarantee that there will be no loss of jobs. As for the member's quite impertinent and badly-phrased question, I think that the ...
Members interjecting.
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Mr FINCH: Obviously, she is demonstrating her lack of skills and knowledge in this area. I suggest that she leave these matters to those who are best able to attend to them - that is, the Commissioner for Public Employment and the unions involved. They are finding the answers. More unions are signing up day by day. I envisage that, in the end, even the Power and Water Authority unions, which are putting themselves out on a limb and at odds with the community, will be willing to sign up.
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enterprise agreement. Why is the Country Liberal Party government determined to screw the Territory's 15 000 hardworking and dedicated public servants out of a fair and equitable pay rise?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I am intrigued by the language that the member has chosen to use.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr Ede: Chuck her out!
Mr FINCH: Quite simply, in fact, the Northern Territory CLP government has treated its public servants very well over time. The current round of negotiations in relation to pay increases are in step with the states, with other industries ...
Mr Ede: Compare them with politicians' pay rises over the ...
Mr FINCH: ... with other governments. They are being accepted by a number of sections of the public service to enable them to take advantage of a salary increase from this current pay period, which finishes on Thursday 24 August 1995. A very attractive component in the offer made in this round of negotiations is not only the 3% plus 4% - that is, 7% over the next 2 years - but a guarantee that there will be no job losses for those sections of the public service which are involved in this agreement, and we trust that that will be all in due course.
Quite logically, if we pay more than we can afford to pay, the money has to come from somewhere else. Thus, it is not a matter of writing cheques blindly, as Premier Carr did to pay off the teachers in New South Wales for voting for him, which was an extraordinary and totally unjustifiable process. Are those the sort of negotiations that the Labor Party would engage in on behalf of the taxpayer?
Members interjecting.
Mr FINCH: It is the taxpayers' money that is used here. Do you see this as an open chequebook for you to buy votes, to do ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr FINCH: What we are talking about here is a fair dinkum round of negotiations to ensure that Territory public servants receive justified and affordable increases that are offset against benefits that will be returned to government. The government's offer is accompanied by a guarantee that there will be no loss of jobs. As for the member's quite impertinent and badly-phrased question, I think that the ...
Members interjecting.
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Mr FINCH: Obviously, she is demonstrating her lack of skills and knowledge in this area. I suggest that she leave these matters to those who are best able to attend to them - that is, the Commissioner for Public Employment and the unions involved. They are finding the answers. More unions are signing up day by day. I envisage that, in the end, even the Power and Water Authority unions, which are putting themselves out on a limb and at odds with the community, will be willing to sign up.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016