Page 4046 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 24 November 1993
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The doctors must accept that if they act like the ship painters and doctors they should be treated like the ship painters and doctors. If they want this matter to be resolved, the only way - - -
Mr Kaine: We do not have ship painters and doctors.
MR LAMONT: Yes, we do, Mr Kaine. Not only do we have the people controlling the slot machines, we also have in this town the ship painters and doctors, and that is something people should be acutely aware of. If they are going to act like that, they should be prepared to accept the outcome of the umpire. The umpire in this case, I believe, is beyond dispute in terms of competence to handle the matter, and the VMOs in the ACT should accept the umpire's decision. That is exactly what you people implore us to do, exactly what your kind have implored us to do for all of your lives, and it is about time you stood up and took account of it.
MRS CARNELL (Leader of the Opposition) (10.52): I think it is important, first of all, to refute a number of the comments Mr Lamont made. First, the Liberal Party is not about maintaining the current level and the current contractual basis of the VMOs.
Mr Berry: You said here that they should get the same.
MRS CARNELL: I have said publicly that it would be terribly unfortunate for ACT VMOs to be paid substantially more or substantially less than their New South Wales counterparts.
Mr Berry: No; you said, "You should give them the same". I have the press release.
MRS CARNELL: As New South Wales. The importance of making sure that they are paid at the same sorts of levels as in New South Wales is that we want a quality health system.
Mr Berry: Yes, but they do not want that. They will not accept that. You silly woman!
MRS CARNELL: We want good doctors in our health system, and unless we pay them under those sorts of circumstances we will not get them. The Liberal Party is not going down the track of suggesting that the VMOs should be paid and have conditions substantially in excess of those in New South Wales. That statement has been made time and time again.
What we are saying, though, is that in an attempt to resolve this dispute, a dispute that is causing huge problems to the community, it would have been nice if the Minister had followed the contractual arrangements he now seems to be using. The contractual arrangements say in clause 7, part (iii):
In the absence of agreement between the parties by a date three months prior to the date of expiration of existing contracts -
that is, 20 November -
the claim shall be referred to the independent conciliation and/or arbitration.
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