Dr LIM - 2001-11-28
Madam Speaker, the Chief Minister has not really addressed the question about the public service despite all the questions we have asked. I will make it a little easier for her. What is the current size of the public service in terms of employees of all designations, and what do you anticipate the figure being in 12 months time under your changes to the public service?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Don’t start, Chief Minister, until there is a bit of quiet.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, we have seen a previous administration that did not value our public sector. We have seen a previous administration that, for example, kept many public servants or kept many Territorians on short-term contracts, rolling those short-term contracts over and over and over. I can say to the House today that we will end that. We will end that, because that is not fair employment practice. We will end that because we will not have short-term contracts. They will be properly employed in our public sector.
I have written to all public servants today assuring them that the opposition’s scaremongering, the ridiculous assertions they are attempting to make, the Henny Penny attitude, is simply false. It is simply their pathetic tactic in trying to avoid the fact that the mini-budget is all about their financial management, or lack of it, and their deceit on Territorians.
This government values our public sector. There will be no forced redundancies. In fact, if you look at the mini-budget – and you are probably still trying to comes to terms with it - there is growth in our public sector. There are more teachers, there are more police, there are more nurses. We are growing a new Office of Territory Development, a very exciting Office of Territory Development. There is a new Office of Indigenous Affairs in the Department of Chief Minister. In fact, we are growing the public sector from the number of about 14 400-ish at the moment ...
Mr Dunham: So it will be bigger. Is that the answer? It will be bigger?
Ms MARTIN: I know that you have trouble grasping what the mini-budget is about, that you are in denial. Let me try and get you to focus on the fact that we are valuing public servants, we are looking for improved services, we are looking for more efficient government, and we are increasing numbers of public servants, in key areas for us, in key areas for Territorians - we have been very upfront about that. We will be proudly reporting back here over the next four years about how we have achieved those efficiencies.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Don’t start, Chief Minister, until there is a bit of quiet.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, we have seen a previous administration that did not value our public sector. We have seen a previous administration that, for example, kept many public servants or kept many Territorians on short-term contracts, rolling those short-term contracts over and over and over. I can say to the House today that we will end that. We will end that, because that is not fair employment practice. We will end that because we will not have short-term contracts. They will be properly employed in our public sector.
I have written to all public servants today assuring them that the opposition’s scaremongering, the ridiculous assertions they are attempting to make, the Henny Penny attitude, is simply false. It is simply their pathetic tactic in trying to avoid the fact that the mini-budget is all about their financial management, or lack of it, and their deceit on Territorians.
This government values our public sector. There will be no forced redundancies. In fact, if you look at the mini-budget – and you are probably still trying to comes to terms with it - there is growth in our public sector. There are more teachers, there are more police, there are more nurses. We are growing a new Office of Territory Development, a very exciting Office of Territory Development. There is a new Office of Indigenous Affairs in the Department of Chief Minister. In fact, we are growing the public sector from the number of about 14 400-ish at the moment ...
Mr Dunham: So it will be bigger. Is that the answer? It will be bigger?
Ms MARTIN: I know that you have trouble grasping what the mini-budget is about, that you are in denial. Let me try and get you to focus on the fact that we are valuing public servants, we are looking for improved services, we are looking for more efficient government, and we are increasing numbers of public servants, in key areas for us, in key areas for Territorians - we have been very upfront about that. We will be proudly reporting back here over the next four years about how we have achieved those efficiencies.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016