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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 10 Hansard (3 September) . . Page.. 2937 ..

MR DE DOMENICO (continuing):

The other thing that needs to be said is that all those staff members will come across on 1 January 1997, not when the CFMEU said they would. The CFMEU said that it would be overnight, by 5 o'clock. That was another lie, Mr Speaker; but, then again, we expect that from any union that plunders one of our local businesses up on the hill. What can you expect from a union like that? We have said that all existing EBAs will be adhered to. In other words, the staff will transfer on exactly the same conditions as they have now. Most of the workers are satisfied, I have to say. It seems to me that the only people who are not satisfied are the CFMEU and the people they control - people like Mr Whitecross.

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, my supplementary question is in two parts. First, I ask Mr De Domenico to answer the original question, which was: What advice has been sought from the Totalcare board in relation to the proposed changes, and what analysis has been done to gauge the impact on the Totalcare business of this transfer of business to Totalcare? Further, has the board of Totalcare formally advised you, Minister, that the Government's decision to transfer these functions is in the best commercial interests of Totalcare?

MR DE DOMENICO: Mr Speaker, I will answer the supplementary question by saying that the Government's decision to do this is in the best interests of the Canberra community.

MR HIRD: My question is to Mr De Domenico in his capacity as the Minister responsible for transport. As a member for Ginninderra, I am concerned at comments being made by - you guessed it - Mr Berry in relation to a review being carried out by ACTION of services from the good area, Belconnen suburbs, to the Kippax group centre. Is it the case that these services will be, as Mr Berry has said, severely cut? Mr Berry has been wrong before, and he is wrong this time, I trust, Mr Minister. In particular, will the elderly citizens of Collingrove Court in Scullin be adversely affected by these changes?

MR DE DOMENICO: I thank Mr Hird for his question. People over the other side of the house who might think that this is what is called a dorothy dixer are wrong. I will tell you how we knew, Mr Speaker. Mr Berry, in his inimitable style, before the meeting of the Administration and Procedure Committee just before lunch and before announcing it here to the Assembly, gave to the media a copy of what he intends to do tomorrow. He gave it to the media in advance and then came in here and told the Assembly. Once again, as usual, Mr Berry has got it wrong. Last week, as we all know, Mr Berry said that we had closed down the birthing centre. He was wrong.

Ms Follett: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: We have an assurance from the Minister that this is not a dorothy dixer, but I observe the Minister reading a multipage answer. Could it be that he has misled us?

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