Page 3170 - Week 15 - Thursday, 14 December 1989

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But the crisis of morale which now exists within the public service serves to undermine the whole effectiveness. The dislocation inevitably resulting from this restructuring will not add only to the morale problems but, of course, also adversely affect the budget. That is the big worry.

Now, what have we heard about? We have heard that we are clearing out the fifth floor and the people who are on the fifth floor go to the third floor or the fourth floor. The people who are on the fourth floor have got to be moved. The people that they will be replacing will have to be moved to make way for the people from the Chief Minister's office who currently occupy space on the fifth floor. So what is going to be the cost to the community of that sort of relocation? What is the cost to the community of nine Ministers? We do know that they are intending to open up individual offices. It is impossible to constrain expenditures when you add five additional Ministers to the payroll of that - - -

Mr Humphries: You do not.

Ms Maher: We are not getting any extra, Paul. We are not getting any extra pay.

MR WHALAN: You have said it; it is here. There are five additional Ministers being replaced.

Ms Maher: There is no additional benefit.

MR WHALAN: Well, is Bill Stefaniak going to have his own office as Minister for sport, recreation and racing? Is he or is he not, Mr Speaker? That is the question which he has to answer.

Mr Jensen: He has his own office now.

MR WHALAN: So Bill Stefaniak is going to remain on the first floor?

Mr Jensen: He has his own office now, Mr Whalan.

MR WHALAN: Is that the undertaking that we are getting, that Bill Stefaniak will remain on the first floor and will operate the office of sport, recreation and racing from the first floor? That question has not been answered. In all these administrative arrangements and in the speeches which have been made by the Chief Minister there has been no indication of the cost that results from this.

There is substantial cost. If there had been proper consultation with the opposition in relation to the committee system, there would have been the opportunity to ensure that there was a committee of some sort that was not dominated by the executive and subject to the manipulation of the executive and which would have the opportunity to examine precisely the costs that are involved in this


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