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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 9 Hansard (23 November) . . Page.. 2403 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

I think a fairly clear demonstration of that is the e-mail publication, in relation to staff of the Government, described as "Enterprise Bargaining in the ACT Public Service". This sort of propaganda is run from the management side and the unions have been denied the opportunity to run the same sort of information through the same sort of network so that workers are able to get an understanding, a grasp, of the balance of the debate about what is in store for them.

Mrs Carnell: All that has been on e-mail is the facts of the situation.

MR BERRY: Mrs Carnell kindly - - -

Mrs Carnell: Apart from a few unusual unauthorised statements.

MR BERRY: Mrs Carnell kindly interjects and says that what has been on e-mail is the facts. The facts according to Mrs Carnell are not always the facts which will be accepted by workers out there in the workplace.

Mr Connolly: Most publishers of propaganda call them the facts.

MR BERRY: As my colleague Mr Connolly interjects, most publications describe themselves as revealing the facts. Unions are entitled to have equal access to the workplace. If you listened to what the present Government said before the last election, it would be a progressive, socially just government, and one which you would expect to hear, or to see, a lot of support from in relation to balance. But unions have been denied the opportunity to put their case through the same network.

Mr De Domenico: Nonsense!

MR BERRY: Minister De Domenico interjects, "Nonsense!". Mr De Domenico, I will accept your undertaking that you will guarantee unions the same access to staff through the Internet as management - - -

Mrs Carnell: I can promise you I have not accessed the Internet once to get out government - - -

MR BERRY: The same access to the propaganda network as management. If you are prepared to give that commitment now, I will take that back to the unions in order that they can - - -

Mrs Carnell: I can assure you that unions will have the same access as I do.

MR BERRY: Will they be permitted to circulate their own information throughout the Internet along the same lines as your managers?

Mrs Carnell: The first time that I, as a Liberal Party Chief Minister, access the Internet - - -

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Berry has the floor.

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