Page 2528 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 13 October 1992
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Mrs Carnell: And unnecessary expenses on fridges.
MR BERRY: She interjects, "Unnecessary expenses on fridges". This is the $40,000 fridge that she complained about at the Tuggeranong Health Centre - the health centre that they could not even find. They did not even know where it was. She got that wrong too. The $40,000 fridge turned into a range of specialised fridges at $5,000 each. She could not even get that right. She could not get the location of the health centre right. All they wanted to do was to condemn that very successful public enterprise.
Mr Kaine: I can see that this is another political question that you are going to deal with in a political way.
MR BERRY: Well, you interject.
Mr Kaine: I did not interject.
MR BERRY: You could have fooled me.
Mr Kaine: Except to tell you that it is a political question and that you will answer in a political way.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
MR BERRY: Madam Speaker, it is good to see the praises of Canberra's very successful public health system being sung elsewhere. It would be a great pity if the Liberals were to continue with their condemnation of the public system in the ACT. That is quite often the case. They talk it down rather than talking it up. They are very negative about a process which provides top quality services for the ACT. It is a service which, under a Labor government, will continue to have a focus on social justice. We will ensure that the interests of the people of the ACT are foremost, rather than the interests of others.
Over-award Payments
MR DE DOMENICO: Madam Speaker, my question without notice is to the Minister for Industrial Relations, Mr Berry. Does the Minister agree with his Federal colleague Senator Peter Cook that any future over-award payments should be entertained only under enterprise or workplace agreements? If he does agree, will he immediately instigate an inquiry into over-award payments in the ACT Government Service and its instrumentalities? If not, why not?
MR BERRY: This shows the ignorance of the Liberals in industrial relations. Mr De Domenico talks about over-award payments, I am sure, in the private sector context, and then talks about what occurs in paid rates awards.
Mr De Domenico: No, all contexts. Do you agree with him or don't you?
MR BERRY: You do not even seem to understand the difference between minimum rates and paid rates awards. You do not seem to understand the difference in the two principles. Go away; have a look at the school books first. When you understand the difference between minimum rates and paid rates awards, come back in and put the question to me again.
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