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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 7 Hansard (23 September) . . Page.. 2058 ..

Ms Carnell: Why? Are they planning to go to Malaysia on holiday?

MR SMYTH: Yes, they must all be off to Malaysia. They said:

... a Goods and Services Tax (if the Libs are re-elected) or inflationary movements of a substantial nature.

Mr Speaker, it absolutely stuns me. I am not sure what the union is after. I do not know whether they want to be paid in Swiss francs or American dollars. Maybe they just want to play the foreign exchange market. Mr Speaker, most Canberrans would love to have to be worried about the foreign exchange rate. What was offered, in effect, Mr Speaker, was more than $45 a week in additional pay and, if the drivers volunteered to take up split shifts, an extra $100 per week. That is almost $150 a week, Mr Speaker, or $7,500 a year. I think most Canberrans would love to be in a position to actually turn down a $150 a week increase.

But let us keep going. We offered to pay them more to implement the new network, which the public wants. We know that because we talked to them. We had a mammoth amount of consultation over this. It is quite clear that the public is after more services. But Mr Santi said in his letter:

Members rejected the New Network for many reasons, including the inclusion of full time broken shifts, the fact that some 5 day, day shifts were finishing too late (i.e. after 7.00 pm) and that there was insufficient time to implement any new network by October 12.

After 14 months of negotiation we all knew it was coming. The people of Canberra want it. Yet suddenly, a month short of the introduction of the new network, it just cannot be done. Mr Speaker, the list goes on. Take leisure leave. Here the union is arguing that its members have the right to have an extra 21/2 weeks a year on top of their annual leave - on top of the four weeks that most Canberrans get. They want this set in stone. They are not willing to be paid overtime, which is the standard practice. Mr Speaker, most Canberrans would love to have 61/2 weeks' leave in a year.

Mr Speaker, the workshops issue is an interesting one. Essentially, what we have is an internal fight in the TWU. The drivers and the workshop staff are in conflict. ACTION has suggested that we transfer some of the workshop staff, those trained as multiskilled drivers, to become drivers. (Extension of time granted) This has led to a demarcation dispute within the TWU. So it goes on.

The curious one, Mr Speaker, is the ticket sales. Drivers currently accept cash fares. What we wanted was for them to actually sell people a ticket. Most of our tickets are purchased by pensioners, Mr Speaker. Pensioners' needs vary, and it would seem reasonable that you could get on the first bus of the day and buy your $1 pensioner ticket.

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