Page 3503 - Week 11 - Thursday, 14 October 1993
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Chief Minister, am I to understand that you have included $17m in your budget when there is no government policy on the matter, there is no government direction on the matter, you have no idea how many people might take advantage of the offer, and you do not know whether you can spend the money or not?
Ms Follett did not answer yes and she did not answer no. What she did was waffle on about giving the initiative to the public servants and not sacking anyone, which is well and good and a nice way to do things. We will not disagree with the conclusion that a voluntary separation scheme is a nice way to reduce the numbers in the public service, but you can still do this and have a strategy. You just have to be able to do two things at once.
The problem with the voluntary separation scheme is that all the initiative has been given to the public servants. The Government has retreated from its job of governing, of making decisions. Ms Follett is unable to grasp that a voluntary separation scheme can be targeted, limited and managed according to the strategies set to achieve desired outcomes and goals. But what do we have? Instead, we have a hit-and-miss affair that fails the public servants and fails the community; a scatter gun approach that gives no assurances that the implementation of the voluntary separation scheme will benefit the community or the ACT Government Service; an idea with no planning that has managed to offend the unions, has been rejected by the Industrial Relations Commission and has failed the community's expectations of good government management.
I have two more things to say, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I would like to quote someone:
At least 400 public sector jobs will go as a result of this budget and the Treasurer has indicated that next year even more jobs will be lost. We are well on the way to the 3,000 job cuts the Treasurer has said that he wants. The Treasurer assures us that no-one will be sacked, but it has to be said that no-one will be employed either. In 1990-91 over $6m is going to be spent in paying people out of the public service. This is a disaster for Canberra at a time when the unemployment outlook is very gloomy. There is some bad news hidden very deep in Mr Kaine's budget.
Mr Lamont: This is the former Treasurer whom even you gave the flick to. Even you flicked him.
MR DE DOMENICO: I am glad that Mr Lamont is interjecting. They are the words of your former leader.
Mr Lamont: Your former leader.
MR DE DOMENICO: Mr Lamont, wrong again. In fact, Mr Lamont, they are the words of your current leader, the current Treasurer, Ms Follett. She said that on 13 September 1990. I welcome your interjections. You are wrong again.
Let us have a look at what the Chief Minister's own advisory bodies tell her. The Chief Minister has stood up here three times, I think, and presented reports from EPACT, the Economic Priorities Advisory Committee of the ACT.
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