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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 3 Hansard (7 March) . . Page.. 752 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

understand that history, but the time has come now when we must change. We must be competitive in order to give ACT Forests a real future, with all the jobs that hang off that, and the potential jobs and investment that hang off that-the opportunity to prosper and grow here in the ACT.

Much has been made, Mr Speaker, of comments that we have not followed the industrial relations process. The advice to me from the department is that ACT Forests have been following the consultative process as outlined in the enterprise bargaining agreement and as directed by Commissioner Deegan of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.

We have been having meetings with the forestry union each Thursday morning to consult over the proposed restructure and the impact upon staff of any resultant redundancies. We have provided all documents and reports of the two consultations and have identified a path that the management and the union are discussing. Another meeting is scheduled for this Thursday morning. We are also discussing the financial circumstances of ACT Forests, and they are being explained in detail. We are also arranging for the consultants to address the union over any issues they wish to raise from their reports.

Mr Speaker, we then get to the nub of what it is that Mr Berry is about today. He is simply about denying this government access to the same process that they had access to and under which they had forced redundancies. Mr Speaker, officers who opt for redeployment rather than voluntary redundancies-

Members interjecting-

MR SPEAKER: Order, please! I wish to hear the minister.

Mr Wood: Why?

MR SPEAKER: Because I think he is talking some sense.

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, officers who opt for redeployment rather than voluntary redundancies will be transferred to the Urban Services career assistance unit where they will be provided with training and assistance to enhance their prospects for redeployment either within the ACT public service-I think we have had some from the unit go to the Commonwealth public service-or within the private sector. This will include placements with potential employers to assist the employee and the potential employer to see if they can work together. Those officers will be able to have access to the career assistance unit for either seven or 13 months, depending on their service.

If after these retention periods we cannot find alternative employment we will go to the AIRC and ask for the commission to examine whether we had done everything we could to redeploy these officers. If the AIRC believes that we have then we will seek to involuntarily retire the officers. If the commission feels that we have not done everything the commission would have the power to direct Urban Services to do whatever the commission felt was necessary to fulfil its obligations. Mr Speaker, this process is being discussed with the unions as we speak. The whole issue will be determined by the AIRC, as is appropriate, and reflected in the enforceable variations to the EBA.

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