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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 1 Hansard (21 February) . . Page.. 146 ..

MR WHITECROSS (continuing):

This whole episode is characterised by arrogance, and Mrs Carnell needs to accept that her handling of this has been shameful from beginning to end. She needs to take a good look at herself. She needs to reflect on the implications of the way that she has been conducting herself in this industrial dispute. She needs, most importantly, to pick up the phone, phone Jeremy Pyner and say, "This has gone on for long enough. Let us sit down and talk; no strings attached, no conditions. Let us sit down and talk and get this thing resolved". What she has shown is just blind arrogance.

MR MOORE (4.42): Mr Speaker, I will speak again on this issue for a few moments. I would also urge Mrs Carnell to pick up a phone, phone Jeremy Pyner and ask whether she can speak. I hope that she gets a much better reception than I got today when I asked. I genuinely urge the Chief Minister to continue her negotiations with the unions. I think the discussions that we had last night were particularly fruitful and were a starting point. I have always seen them as a starting point in terms of breaking the impasse between the Government and those unions in this conflict.

I will explain to the house that probably the reason that I had at 9.42 am a copy of this payroll deductions of union dues withdrawal that the Chief Minister signed off - as she says, at about 9.15 am - was that we had discussed this as part of the issue of showing good faith in dealing with the unions last night. I had said to the Chief Minister that I thought this would be a demonstration of good faith. I presume that she was quite conscious of the fact that, even if she had not done so, it would have been forced on her. It was a rather easy demonstration of good faith in that sense. Nevertheless, it was still a small move to proceed with it as an attempt to show the unions that she was prepared to back off; that, rather than be taken to a point kicking and screaming, she was prepared to back off and was prepared to leave some room to improve the negotiations. I think that is what we all seek.

As I sat in this Assembly, I assumed that other members had a copy of this as well. As Mr Berry's speech went on, it became obvious to me that he did not become aware of it until after he had begun to speak - in fact, it was after he had finished speaking. I could well have said to Mr Berry, "It is not necessary to move this motion now, because the Chief Minister is taking action". I thought it was a good idea that the issue be debated anyway. I looked at the motion and felt that, even if the Chief Minister had said that she was withdrawing it, being told to withdraw it anyway was not such a bad thing because it would express the opinion of the Assembly that this was an entirely inappropriate action and would give us the opportunity to make the sorts of points that have been made here today in both debates.

I think the improved motion which Mr Berry has put up and which expresses the view that this is an inappropriate way of dealing with an unacceptable action on payroll deductions is an improvement on the original motion; so, I am quite happy to speak to it. I did think it was worth making those couple of points.

I conclude in the same way as I started. I urge the Chief Minister to continue to offer the unions negotiation; to get to the negotiating table as soon as possible; and try to sort out this mess, because that is exactly what it is. I believe that you have made an entirely appropriate demonstration with the teachers union, the Australian Education Union, in an area that I have always felt was the most difficult in this style of negotiation.

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