Page 4522 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 14 December 1993
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Madam Speaker, I believe that, whilst this is a very difficult issue, the position that is being taken by the Government, of a central arrangement and centrally negotiated agreements, is the best possible one. It is a decision of the Government that that is the way to proceed, and we have not changed our minds at all. I think that what we are seeing at the moment is parties exploring the scope for negotiation. We are hearing claims being put fairly strongly, and I believe that the course of action that the Government is taking is the best possible course of action.
Madam Speaker, on other issues, of course, individual unions and workplaces are at liberty to raise matters with anybody they wish to, but most particularly with their own Minister if their actions are confined to one department; and that is what is occurring as well. Indeed, many of them raise issues with me as well. My approach has always been to refer such issues to the Minister involved, at least in the first instance.
Mr Kaine: Which one?
MS FOLLETT: On enterprise bargaining, of course, the Minister involved is Mr Berry. There is no mystery about that.
Building and Construction Industry
MR LAMONT: My question is directed to the Minister for Urban Services. I refer the Minister to recent local and national newspaper articles on micro-economic reform in the building and construction industry. Could the Minister outline for the Assembly what those reforms are in that industry in the ACT?
MR CONNOLLY: Again, this Labor Government is setting the pace nationally on micro-economic reform, as always. A process was announced in 1991 for reform of the building industry, an industry which had been really marked by industrial conflict for many years. The CIDA process, the construction industry reform - - -
Mr Cornwell: The economy is micro.
Mr Kaine: And becoming more so.
Mr Berry: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. If members opposite want to ask themselves questions and answer them themselves, that is fair enough; but they are asking questions of individual Ministers. If they would just have the good manners to listen to them, it would be nice.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! Mr Connolly has the floor.
MR CONNOLLY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is always the Liberals who are not really interested in issues of micro-economic reform. The Construction Industry Development Agency process was announced in 1991 and the ACT Government was the first government, State or Territory, to sign up for that process. Since that time we have made significant resources available to the CIDA process. Mr John Flutter, who is our director of public works and services, has had the carriage of developing national contracting standards.
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