Page 3507 - Week 11 - Thursday, 14 October 1993
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that managers would prepare, for our consideration and for subsequent consideration by unions under the award process, restructuring proposals that were informed but not directed by information about the areas from which staff wish to leave.
As the Opposition knows, Commissioner Smith ordered that the process of seeking global expressions of interest cease. The Government has yet to see his reasons, as I said. Accordingly, we have ceased the scheme, but with some regret, given that the material would have been used in accordance with awards and could have been only helpful to the restructuring process. As the expressions of interest can no longer be invited, the Government has asked managers to consider what, if any, additional restructuring measures they would wish to recommend. After consideration, where appropriate, by government, these measures will also be tabled at local bargaining centres along with those budget targets already announced. The local bargaining centres will also discuss any productivity proposals that the parties might have.
In all, the efficiency review program has over 50 components, and I do not propose to detail each and every one of them. I would, however, say that it needs to be clearly understood that a framework has been put in place to manage the efficiency program. This program covers management improvement, efficiency improvements, information technology improvements, service delivery reviews, restructuring proposals, resource reviews, overhead cost reduction studies and organisational reviews. They are a broad-ranging set of targets that may be complemented by other proposals, but the Government's plan to restructure the budget in a sustainable way will continue, as it was never dependent solely on the voluntary separation scheme.
The Government has not only a clear medium-term budget strategy but also one which is targeted and is achievable, unlike what the Liberals tried to do. This puts us in a much stronger position than the Kaine Government found itself in when it announced that hundreds of positions were to go. It did not say where they were to go from or how they were to go. What we have put in place here is a far more thoughtful, far more considered process, and one which will be achieved.
MR CORNWELL (3.40): Madam Speaker, the matter of public importance is:
The ACT Government's failure to properly target its recently announced $17m voluntary separation scheme.
I think it is appropriate for me to read a small extract from Alice in Wonderland to describe the caucus race:
First it marked out a race-course, in a sort of circle ("the exact shape doesn't matter", it said), and then all the party were placed along the course, here and there. There was no "One, two, three, and away", but they began running when they liked, and left off when they liked, so that it was not easy to know when the race was over. However, when they had been running half an hour or so, and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly called out, "The race is over!" and they all crowded around it, panting and asking, "But who has won?".
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