Page 519 - Week 02 - Thursday, 25 February 1993
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MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, if my memory serves me correctly, I responded to a request from Mr Kaine and - - -
Mr Kaine: For a staffing review, like you did, by OPSM. There has been no such review.
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I believe I am correct in saying that there is also a general review of staffing matters going on. You may be better placed to comment on that than I am. It has not yet resulted in a report, but I will check that up.
Laboratory Assistants - Industrial Dispute
MS SZUTY: Madam Speaker, my question without notice is to the Minister for Education, Mr Wood; however, Mr Wood may wish to refer the question to the Minister for Industrial Relations, Mr Berry. My question concerns the ongoing dispute between the Department of Education and Training and the Public Sector Union concerning the work of laboratory assistants in high schools and colleges. My question is: What steps has the Government taken to facilitate the resolution of the dispute?
MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, it is correct that there is a dispute and it has been going on for some time, indeed rather too long. The Government has gone through all the usual procedures for resolving disputes with the relevant union. We have made offers to the union which we believed were fair and reasonable in the circumstances. They were not accepted, so we are still in the state of consulting and working with the union and going through those proper procedures to get a resolution as soon as possible. It is the case, and I regret it, that it is causing some difficulty in schools; so I can assure Ms Szuty that we are anxious to resolve it as soon as possible.
Hospital Beds
MRS CARNELL: My question is to the Minister for Health. Given the Prime Minister's promise yesterday to solve hospital waiting lists by purchasing private hospital beds - and I use his words - I ask the Minister: In the unlikely event that Mr Keating will stay as Prime Minister and given that the Minister for Health refused to allow the building of a second private hospital in Canberra, how will the Minister buy the number of private hospital beds required to solve the problem of the 2,045 people on the elective waiting lists in the ACT?
MR BERRY: Madam Speaker, I did hear the announcement by the Prime Minister yesterday and I know that the people of Australia will clearly understand that their health care will be in better hands as a result of that promise than would be the case if Dr Hewson were to go ahead with his plans to cut $8 billion out of health care across Australia in the first six years.
Mr Humphries: You can stop waffling and give us the answer.
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