Page 3223 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 21 September 1994
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We could go on and talk about the Knights of the Southern Cross, who were also asked the same questions and gave exactly the same answers. They were asked:
Do people have a right to adequate pain relief - adequate in the mind of the patient?
Dr Fleming, who appeared for them, said:
Let me say that there is a duty and an obligation on the part of the doctor to relieve pain. The level of pain is clearly a subjective question.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! It is 12.30 pm; so the debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 77, as amended by temporary order.
Sitting suspended from 12.30 to 2.30 pm
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Government Service - Staff Numbers
MRS CARNELL: My question without notice is to the Chief Minister. I refer the Chief Minister to her statement in the Assembly on 15 June this year that there had been an enormous take-up of voluntary redundancies under the Government's restructuring program. Indeed, she claimed that the demand for voluntary redundancies in 1993-94 exceeded the available funds of $17m. In fact, we understand that 453 such redundancies occurred. I ask the Chief Minister: Since the voluntary redundancy program was so successful, why have both the numbers of permanent staff and total government staff actually increased? In fact, at the end of 1992-93 we had a total staff of 22,805; the number is now 23,023.
MS FOLLETT: I thank Mrs Carnell for the question, Madam Speaker. The first thing I want to say is that, as members will be aware, we have spent a large amount of money on updating the computer system to ensure that information on staffing is evermore accurate. I have made no secret in the past of the fact that there have been some anomalies from time to time in reporting on staffing statistics across the ACT Government Service; there is no doubt about that. Madam Speaker, the fact that we have been prepared to make that investment in getting good statistics, I think, is to the credit not just of the Government but also of the people who are responsible for maintaining these figures.
As far as voluntary redundancies go, members will be aware that in just about each budget we have made provision for voluntary redundancies. The important thing about those redundancies is that they are just that - they are voluntary. The majority of people whose positions become redundant in fact opt for redeployment in the first instance. So, the voluntary nature of those redundancies is respected, as, indeed, is the RRR award in all matters to do with any redundancies.
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