Page 331 - Week 01 - Thursday, 16 February 2012
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From the outset the ACT government have supported the community sector’s application to Fair Work Australia for equal pay. We have been preparing for several months for the outcome of the Fair Work Australia decision, including regular talks with the sector, analysis of the community sector in the ACT and the likely impact of the decision in favour of the application.
I would like to reinforce the importance of this decision. The decision by Fair Work Australia recognises that, until now, there has not been equal pay for women and men workers who work for equal or comparable value by comparison with state and territory government employment. The decision ensures this will no longer be the case for thousands of community workers across Australia, and the ACT Labor government is backing that decision by fully funding its share of the wage increase.
The government’s commitment means that many community sector workers will receive a significant wage increase without their employers having to compromise on service delivery to fund the outcome of the case. What the government has done and is doing is standing up for the community sector workers, particularly for women, who make up the bulk of the workforce in the sector.
We will also establish a community sector transition and investment fund to implement the outcomes of the case and to provide practical transitional support. The fund will also support measures to strengthen the capacity of the sector to deliver social services, and this is something that has been strongly welcomed by ACTCOSS. This is an opportunity to work with the sector on other measures to improve their capacity to deliver vital services and to help reduce the cost of doing business at a time of great change in the sector. The fund will be used to identify and implement economies of scale savings, such as through service models and cutting red tape, along with a number of other measures as appropriate.
A steering committee of community sector representatives will be established to implement the measures identified that can most improve the services they offer and reduce their business costs.
I wait with interest for the leader of the ACT opposition to announce what a Liberal government would do if elected. Would they stand by the commitment to fully fund the decision and provide certainty to the sector? I would not hold my breath for that, Mr Speaker, because we know the view of the Canberra Liberals, or at least that of Mrs Dunne, who believes that women have a luxury about whether they work or not and that women in their middle years move in and out of the workforce as it suits them.
Mr Hanson: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, you have already ruled on Ms Burch making dissertations on Liberal Party policies which are not relevant to the questions asked. She has now ignored you a number of times. Are you going to rule on this, Mr Speaker? We have been warned, three of us today, for interjecting, but we see here a minister who is continually ignoring your rulings and there have been no warnings. I just ask you to consider the consistency with which you are applying the standing orders.
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