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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 12 Hansard (6 December) . . Page.. 3788 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

Mr Kaine raised the issue of what things should we be concerned about. I will give you some examples, Mr Kaine. First of all, I will go to some of the issues which give rise to concern for any of these sorts of things - that is, assets, activities, and services that might be transferred to Totalcare. What has happened to them in the past, for example. You probably would be aware of some of these things.

ACT Fleet apparently has lost 75 staff. No, I'm sorry; I think building maintenance has lost 75 staff. Forty - five jobs have gone from engineering/maintenance. They were transferred to Totalcare and then, because the enterprise then decided to contract them out, the jobs went. Roads cut 23 to 25 jobs. That was transferred to Totalcare. They are now understaffed. The fleet welders went to Totalcare. That now has been put out into the private sector. ACT Fleet heavy haulage. You know those great big long low - loaders they had? That has been sent out and they have been sold off.

What this motion sets out to do is to ensure that when there is going to be a transfer of a service, say like Yarralumla Nursery to Totalcare, say like ACTION buses, say like CityScape, it has to be approved here first. This is not about interfering in Totalcare's contracting arrangements which they are routinely involved in. In fact, we support their continuity and growth. This motion does not interfere in them in any way.

So, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, let's put aside those silly arguments which seek to undermine the purpose of this motion. This is about giving a sense of security to workers out there in at least those three government agencies that I have mentioned to you, Yarralumla Nursery, ACTION buses and CityScape. They involve assets, activities and services, and they are the sorts of things that I have in mind. I do not want to see those sorts of things transferred to the control of the enterprise Totalcare without the approval of this Assembly, because those three enterprises, for example, are matters which many members in this place might be concerned about.

That is not to say that I do not accept that some of these things might be transferred in future with the approval of this Assembly. I am quite content if that turns out to be the case, although I reserve the right to argue one way or the other when the matters come before the place. The issue here is this Assembly ensuring that none of these current services, activities or assets - that is, ACT government assets, ACT government activities and ACT government services - are transferred to Totalcare without the approval of this Assembly. Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, the motion speaks for itself, and I urge members to support it.

Question put:

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