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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 1 Hansard (21 February) . . Page.. 147 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

I think one of the reasons why the Australian Education Union was prepared to go in with the TLC was that they saw that they were in the most awkward of all positions. That is also as I see it, and it is also one of the reasons why I was prepared to see what I could do to assist in finding a way through as far as the Education Union was concerned. In turn, that means that it is probably possible to find a decent outcome for all union members in the Territory. I urge you to make the same sort of offer to the full range of unions as soon as possible.

MR BERRY (4.46), in reply: A little while ago Mrs Carnell went on a bit about confrontation in the health area. It is interesting how the health workers see her. They see Mrs Carnell as failing to negotiate; intimidating and threatening staff; attempting to reduce the hours of casual employees; moving employees unilaterally from one work area to another; calling them stupid, heartless and irresponsible; threatening payroll deductions; making unfounded claims that members were threatening the lives of the public; and wasting time in the Industrial Relations Commission trying to justify untrue claims. That is how health workers see her, and they see it in a climate that has been created by Mrs Carnell.

Mrs Carnell has created this climate of intimidation and confrontation. She denies that this is an attack on the unions. Yet in a circular sent to all public servants, she was advising them how to resign from their union. Why would not unionists believe that this was an attack on the union? You just cannot keep glibly smiling it away. It just cannot be brushed aside. This was an ideological attack on unions, and you have to accept that. You have to accept that you have created an environment in which workers feel intimidated and threatened. It is your job to fix it. Certainly, there is no sign that you have learnt anything from this exercise. I say that that is the height of arrogance and is something that we in this Assembly will have to keep our eye on. It has demonstrated that this Government is incapable of dealing with its work force.

I am glad that this motion has the support of members of the Assembly. I think it sends a strong message to the Government, in particular the Chief Minister, in the hope that it will reduce the level of arrogance that she displays in her dealings with the community. I think the overwhelming support of the direction of this motion shown by members of this Assembly gave rise to the, if you like, watering down of her original decision until it meant nothing, rather than any particular sign of good faith that Mrs Carnell had to show to the trade union movement. Mrs Carnell has to be dragged kicking and screaming when it comes to issues which affect her ego. There is an ego at stake here; and, yes, you may have to lose a bit of face. But that is life when you box yourself into a corner. That is what you have done in this exercise, and you are starting to look pretty foolish. I am pleased to see that, because it will come as a strong message to you that you have to conduct your business differently.

You are obviously a newcomer to the industrial relations game. You have demonstrated that you are unable to assess the impact of the right wing views of those people who are advising you. I am sure that Mr Houlihan would be giving you advice that would be provocative. He would know the views of the conservatives opposite and would be quite willing to echo them; he is paid the right price, and he would echo them.

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