Page 2125 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 5 June 2019
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dividend was higher than 2.5 per cent, under the federal Labor government, it prompted a public sector wide wage freeze, the very issue Ms Cody is pretending to be concerned about today.
I also note that it was a federal Labor government who commenced the process of decentralisation, with former Prime Minister Julia Gillard moving APS jobs out of Canberra to places like Geelong and the Northern Territory. It was the ALP who cut 14,500 jobs from Canberra last time they were in government. Andrew Leigh, another of Ms Cody’s federal colleagues, has continued to express his support for decentralisation initiatives, while Liberal Senator Zed Seselja has continued to fight to keep them in town centres and to argue that, when decentralisation does occur, jobs should be moved from Sydney or Melbourne.
Ms Cody’s claim that the federal Liberal Party has cut thousands of jobs is not true. In this year’s federal budget there was a net increase of 1,271 ASL, in addition to the 912 in the previous budget. The APS is $600 million better off under the re-elected Morrison government than it would have been under a Bill Shorten government.
What is also surprising is the claim by Ms Cody that the ACT Labor-Greens government has protected ACT public service jobs. As per this week’s budget, there has been a distinct lack of growth in ACT public service employee expenses. There has only been a minimal net increase in actual expenses within the public service. This totally contradicts her claim that she has ensured that ACT public servants’ workloads remain manageable, when the government has in fact not put in any more staff to help cope with increased workloads that come with the growing territory. I am sure our hardworking front-line public servants such as those in health and emergency services would disagree with Ms Cody’s claims that their workloads are manageable.
Ms Cody has also called on the government to use public sector employment practices to set a high standard of employment in the ACT—ACT public sector employment practices as a high standard. With so many in our Health Directorate subject to workplace bullying and so many in Education subject to violence in their workplaces, it really is astounding to hear that this is the high standard Ms Cody would like to see across Canberra.
I share Ms Cody’s passion for ensuring that we future-proof the ACT economy through upskilling and the diversification of our economy. Those on our side of the chamber have always maintained that a well-equipped workforce is what drives and incentivises small business and boosts wages. With the majority of Canberrans employed outside the public sector, small business should be the backbone of our economy here in the ACT.
The serious issue that Ms Cody should be concerning herself with is the cost of living here in Canberra. As my colleagues have already raised this morning, under this government we continue to see rates skyrocket. Housing affordability is putting significant strain on Canberrans. We are seeing thousands of Canberrans being priced out of the market and driven out of our city by this government—thousands of Canberrans who work here, who still consider themselves to be Canberrans despite
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