Page 3130 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 20 August 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
introduction of a composite rate of pay, and eliminating overtime and penalty rates and allowances, would save ACTION more than $0.5 million each year. In addition, productivity was expected to increase by 20 per cent. We all know that, as a result of this, there is no easy, effective way for the ACT government to have a reliable workforce over the weekend. Other transport ministers have seemed to solve this in different ways.
Tony did this because of problems that went back even further than 1995. This was before self-government. The Canberra Times of 13 May 1976 reported on a dispute between the TWU and the Department of the Capital Territory about whether drivers should be on seven-day rosters or five-day rosters with voluntary overtime for weekends. The Canberra Times of 6 November 1992 reported that as many as 60 shifts a day were not running, due to sickies and absenteeism. The cause was a move, at the TWU’s request, to five-day-a-week shifts from the six to seven-day-a-week shifts.
So this is certainly a problem. I have been party to some discussions with previous transport ministers about this issue. It would appear that there is a need to change the enterprise bargaining agreement. But it is not fair to put the entire blame for this particular disaster in the hands of the current minister for transport.
Opposition members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, please! Members! That is enough.
MS LE COUTEUR: Since Minister De Domenico, the Liberal minister—
Mr Coe: We have an ICAC now.
MS LE COUTEUR: We have got an ICAC. I am not sure that that is in any way relevant, Mr Coe.
Mr Coe interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, enough!
MS LE COUTEUR: The point I am trying to make—if anyone was interested in trying to solve the weekend bus system issues, as distinct from making cheap political points—is that the decision to scrap penalty rates was made—
Opposition members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Enough! No more, members.
MS LE COUTEUR: in 1995 by Mr Tony De Domenico, who was the Liberal minister for urban services, and blame or censure for these problems is something which has to be shared between a whole range of people who did not act to solve this problem.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video