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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (24 June) . . Page.. 2002 ..

MR WHITECROSS (continuing):

The Treasurer, in her remarks on this item, should explain to this house whether or not the Government supports further reducing the benefits to ACT government employees. They were reduced in 1991 when the PSS was introduced in consultation with the unions. That was an appropriate process that was gone through. Agreement was reached. There were benefits to government employees from the PSS and there were benefits to the community as a whole through reduced costs of superannuation. That was an appropriate process. But we are still living with the emerging costs of the previous CSS which has now closed. We need to do something about how we fund those emerging costs, and that is where Mr Osborne can help. He ought to be putting pressure on the Government he supports to make some provision for those emerging costs rather than making no provision as they are doing at the moment.

Mr Berry: You have not done anything, Ossie.

Mr Osborne: You did nothing either.

Mr Berry: You have just copped it sweet.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, Mr Berry! Order, Mr Osborne!

MR WHITECROSS: The Treasurer should be ruling out further cuts to benefits for ACT government employees, and Mr Osborne should be saying to the Treasurer that further cuts to benefits for employees are not the issue and you should not do it. The real issue is what you are going to do to fund the emerging costs of the CSS, because that is where the costs are blowing out.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member's time has expired.

MR OSBORNE (5.14): It was very interesting to hear Mr Whitecross saying that there has been a hell of a lot of scaremongering going on about superannuation. Mr Whitecross, I am scared about the superannuation problem at the moment.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Osborne, you will address your remarks to the Chair.

MR OSBORNE: Thank you. The unfunded superannuation liability is $645m. Do not be scared. That is not a problem. There is no doubt that when Mr Whitecross stood up in this Assembly he was embarrassed.

Mr Whitecross: No, I am not.

MR OSBORNE: You are embarrassed about the previous Labor Government's rather poor contribution to the superannuation levy. You are embarrassed, Andrew, and I appreciate that. To stand up here and carry on - - -

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