Page 761 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 20 March 2018
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influence over a government and the unions dictating a government agenda? Why was there a need to see this legislation implemented in 2016, yet an urgent need now to repeal it before these provisions are enacted?
The minister, in her directorate briefing, has not clearly articulated the basis for why this was a matter of urgency in 2016 and why there is urgency again now to remove it. If there was a case that clearly articulated why these kinds of provisions should be conveyed to employers in the ACT in 2016, what has substantially or structurally changed in the ACT economy and the employment sector that renders them no longer required in 2018? My fear, as I have already said, is that we now have a different minister with a much more sympathetic ear to the union movement and that they are again calling the shots.
It seems that, with the support of the crossbench, these provisions will be going through today, against the better judgement of much of the opposition, but we will not be standing in the way of them marching to the beat of whoever is calling the shots in this instance. As I said in my opening remarks, I will defer the elements of this bill that relate to the Public Sector Management Act to my colleague Miss Burch, who will address them and move an amendment going forward.
MISS C BURCH (Kurrajong) (4.54): I rise to speak to the elements of this bill relating to the Public Sector Management Act and will later move the amendment circulated in my name. The government’s proposed amendments to the Public Sector Management Act, as they currently stand, have the potential to create financial hardship for hardworking current and former ACT public servants. The amendment I have circulated will significantly lessen any potential financial hardship resulting from government errors that are no fault of their own, by removing the ability for these laws to be applied retrospectively.
The ACT public service is home to diligent, skilled women and men who work hard for every dollar that they earn. ACT public servants have the right to be confident that their pay is correct and accurate at the time that they receive it. If the government makes a mistake in paying public service wages and salaries, those mistakes should be detected and corrected promptly.
It is a basic responsibility of government to ensure that public servants are paid fairly and accurately. It is not good enough for this Labor-Greens government to go back to public servants years later and tell them that they have a huge bill to pay back, all because of a government stuff-up. It is not fair to leave hardworking public servants in limbo, worrying that the government might come after them years later.
When we asked the government why amendments to the current legislation were necessary, we were told that this was in the name of good governance. If this is truly in the name of good governance, the government will have no reason not to support my amendment. If this is not, however, about good governance and is instead just another cash grab, I suspect this amendment will be voted down.
The government have not been up-front with the Assembly, nor with the public about whatever problem it is that they are trying to address with this bill. The existing act
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