Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (13 May) . . Page.. 1289 ..


MR OSBORNE: My supplementary question is this, Mr Speaker: We heard Mrs Carnell waffle on there about the Remuneration Tribunal. Mrs Carnell, you could argue that the chief executive of ACTEW is not a public servant, I suppose - - -

Mrs Carnell: He is not.

MR OSBORNE: He is not? The Remuneration Tribunal, I believe, does not set his salary. Could you inform the Assembly who does that job? Are you able to inform the Assembly whether or not it is true that most of our senior public servants earn more than the head of the Department of Defence?

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, answering the last question first, I do not know what the Department of Defence head earns. I do know that recently a new head of, I think, the Treasury in New South Wales was appointed on significantly more money than we pay anybody in the ACT, but that is just because that ended up being somewhat public.

Mr Speaker, with regard to the first question that Mr Osborne asked about whether I think we are stepping over the line with salaries in this area, I do not believe it is appropriate for this place to make decisions on that. We have an independent tribunal. I also do not make comments on whether I think they are setting the salaries of members of this place too high. I thought, by passing that legislation, that we accepted what our independent tribunal put forward in these cases. Certainly, from my perspective, we will continue to do so. Paul, there was a middle part of this question. What was it?

Mr Osborne: You forgot because you have been blurting out all - - -

MR SPEAKER: ACTEW.

MRS CARNELL: ACTEW. How are ACTEW salaries set? The board of ACTEW sets the salary of the chief executive officer. The salaries of the chief executive officers of all of our Territory-owned corporations are set by the respective boards, whether that is Totalcare, which operated under those opposite, or ACTTAB. The boards of those Territory-owned corporations set the salary of their chief executive, Mr Speaker. That is usually how chief executives' salaries are set.

Transport Reform Advisory Group

MS HORODNY: Mr Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister for Urban Services, Mr Kaine. Earlier in the year, Mr Kaine, I asked you about the fate of the Transport Reform Advisory Committee and you advised me that a new Transport Reform Advisory Group was going to be established to make recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public passenger transport services in the ACT. We have heard since that the membership of this group has now been established and that the first meeting was held a couple of weeks ago. The membership comprises an independent chairperson, a consumer representative, a representative of disabled people, and representatives from the ACT Tourism Commission, the Department of Urban Services, the Transport Workers Union, ACTION, taxi and hire car proprietors


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .