Page 5830 - Week 18 - Tuesday, 10 December 1991
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under the Fire Brigade Act and why they are forced out of public employment and not able to move into other forms of employment that they could probably do very well under the Public Service Act.
At the moment the problem is that these people are under a disadvantage. They do have to retire at 60 years of age, and they do not enjoy the full benefit of superannuation payments that other public employees will get to enjoy at age 65. What Mr Duby agreed to do, and I think it was a fair thing, was make arrangements to do for the ACT firefighters what the Commonwealth has done for similar employees, in particular employees under the Civil Aviation Authority's Act and members of the Australian Federal Police, who are both other examples of employees who are required to retire at age 60.
Mr Collaery raised some questions about the cost to the ACT fiscus. I can say that in the 1991-92 financial year this will probably cost us in the order of $75,000. We expect that it will not cost us anything in 1992-93 and will cost us something like $25,000 in 1993-94. It is not a major financial commitment because it is not giving them their entire superannuation benefit. All it is doing is making some adjustment between what they would have been able to enjoy had they not been required to retire at 60, making it up to what that would have been if they were in other forms of public employment. So, it is not a major impost on future ACT budgets, Mr Collaery. I do not think it is one of those issues, as you rightly point out, where we are required to take on ongoing liabilities because of problems of Federal administration over the years; it is a relatively minor financial burden, but it is a fair thing to do.
It was negotiated with the firefighters union by Mr Duby. We looked at the agreement and thought it was a fair and reasonable thing. It is basically making up the benefit for people who are forced to retire at an earlier age, making up for that detriment. Age discrimination is a problem area. In an ideal world it would not apply. These people are forced to retire early and they should not suffer for it. I commend the Bill to the house.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Detail Stage
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services) (8.59): Mr Speaker, I did circulate an amendment. This picks up a point that was picked up by the Scrutiny of Bills Committee. The Assembly is extraordinarily well served by
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