Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (10 April) . . Page.. 892 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

MLAs are able to employ staff in accordance with arrangements and conditions approved by the Chief Minister. If these arrangements are approved, any Chief Minister will be placed in a situation of having their decisions on allocations and employment matters second-guessed by people who are not in a position to know what the implications are. Mr Speaker, when I say that, I am making the point that terms and conditions are one thing, but budgets are another. If a budget is exceeded by a determination that is overruled and potentially put up by this Assembly, that obviously will change the Assembly's budget. What do we do then, Mr Speaker? Do we go to a second appropriation?

Mr Berry: We can fix it. Just change leaders.

MRS CARNELL: No. A second appropriation. Is that what we are talking about here, Mr Speaker? Is Mr Whitecross aware that these changes could mean that staff engaged under one particular set of conditions could subsequently find those conditions changed, without consultation or explanation to them, simply because a new determination is amended or disallowed? Does Mr Whitecross have any idea of the sense of uncertainty or the devastating effect that this could have on the staff members concerned? Has Mr Whitecross considered that, as these staff are contracted, the Territory may well find itself having an ongoing liability for staff affected in this way?

Mr Speaker, members enter into employment arrangements with staff in good faith. These proposals could find members and staff having to work within a set of arrangements which are changed for political reasons rather than in the interests of best employment practice.

Mr Whitecross: Like you have been doing.

MRS CARNELL: Absolutely not. We have not changed one thing. What we have suggested is that members will be able to have lots more flexibility with their staff in the future, Mr Speaker, in terms of conditions. With regard to the timeframes involved, it must be 12 months ago now that the Prasad report started. It must have happened 12 months ago. Mr Speaker, one of the - - -

Mr Whitecross: I remember the consultation before that was started.

Mr Berry: A phoney report.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MRS CARNELL: One of the things I am most surprised about is why anybody in this place would want to have control of this. For the life of me, I cannot understand why. To start with, if the Assembly makes a determination it will directly affect the Assembly budget. If the Assembly budget is then in excess - - -

Mr Whitecross: Not necessarily.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .